All-electric Alpine A110 will use dedicated EV platform

19 June 2023

We reported by the end of May that Alpine and Lotus were calling quits on their cooperation in developing the next electric sports car. Both Lotus Type 135 and the new all-electric Alpine A110 were supposed to share the platform with the battery cells stacked vertically behind the seats, like in the prototype Alpine A110 E-ternite.

While both companies may be walking away from that project, it doesn't mean the end of the first electric sports car from Alpine. On the contrary, Alpine seems to be very confident in the technology supplied by Renault and buoyed by the warm reception, and apparently impressive performance figures from the Renault 5-based Alpine A290 Beta. The company decided to develop its own EV platform that will be able to support more than just one sports car.

According to Luca De Meo, CEO of Renault Group, Alpine will have 5 electric vehicles on sale within the next 5 years. Alpine A290 Beta is the first out the door, it will be followed by Alpine's first crossover GT X-Over in 2025. The sports car that Alpine was developing with Lotus, was scheduled for a debut in 2026, and it was meant to be followed by two large SUVs destined for the US market.

While Renault's existing EV platforms and technology are good enough for smaller vehicles, Alpine’s ambitious plan to enter the US market with two premium SUVs means the company will need outside help. This will most likely come from Lotus again, although Renault and Alpine haven’t made any decisions on that yet.

Next week, on May 26, Alpine is holding an investors' day and will for the first time present its plan for the electrification of its portfolio. The company is expected to at least unveil a roadmap with more details of the upcoming electric vehicles and possibly mention its future cooperation plans.

Alpine going it alone and developing its own dedicated EV platform means far more control for the company and fewer compromises. But it means added substantial costs - developing any electric vehicle is not an easy or cheap task but developing a sports electric car that is supposed to retain Alpine’s famous agility and handling - that’s a completely different story. Alpine cars are famous for their weight - or rather lack of it - and incredible handling. A light electric car would be an achievement on its own.

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