The French President Unveiled His New Car. And It’s Electric!
On May 8th, Emmanuel Macron made a public appearance in the Presidential DS N°8, a vehicle that’s simultaneously bulletproof and stylish enough to grace Instagram feeds — no filters required.
France’s new official state car is electric. Not a hybrid, not some half-hearted plug-in compromise, but a proper battery-powered machine with an electric drivetrain. And it’s not some humble hatchback either — it's a crossover convertible, which might sound like an engineer’s sarcastic fever dream, but yes, it’s real.
From the outside, the DS N°8 doesn’t stray too far from its civilian counterpart. Except, of course, for the flag mounts on the front fenders, LED strobes embedded in the bumpers, and an illuminated grille that glows in the colors of the French flag. If that sounds a bit over-the-top, you’re absolutely right.
As for the armoring — that’s classified. A state secret. But given that this is a ceremonial car where the roof must come off so Macron can wave to the crowd, there’s clearly no room for a heavy-duty armored capsule. And let’s be honest — the idea of a convertible electric state car is something not even a Bond villain has dared to dream up.
Inside, the cabin is more or less like a regular DS. That is, until you notice the bespoke, hand-crafted dashboard trim, made especially for presidential dignity. Because let’s face it — if you’re the President of France, you simply don’t sit among plastic panels like some mid-range Renault commuter.
The DS N°8 is built in Italy (presumably because France was on strike that day), but the battery and motors come from France, as do the armor systems. As for performance specs — officially, they’re hush-hush. But educated guesses suggest a dual-motor setup with around 375 horsepower and 509 Nm of torque, launching this democratic heavyweight from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. On a single charge, it’s expected to travel up to 686 km (WLTP) — more than enough to make a Brussels round trip without so much as a charging stop or a compromise.
Vive la révolution — now with zero emissions.
