Alpine Swears It Isn't Cancelling Its EV Sports Car

The French sports car maker has an emergency plan to add an engine, but it doesn't plan on taking that route.

Alpine A110 EV Prototype Goodwood

Photo by: Alpine

Jared Rosenholtz

By: Jared Rosenholtz

Jul 15, at 10:00am ET

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THE BREAKDOWN

Alpine's CEO says he isn't worried about slow EV sports car sales.
His company's volume is closer to Ferrari than Porsche.
The A110 can add a gas engine in an emergency.

The next-generation Alpine A110 is coming next year, and we got our first taste of the car at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. Unlike the current model, which uses a mid-mounted turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the third-generation car will be propelled by two rear-mounted electric motors.

In a market that seems to be backing away from EVs, this might be cause for concern with a small company like Alpine, but the company's CEO seemed confident when speaking to Evo at Goodwood. Phillippe Krief believes his company does not have the same uphill battle as Porsche with regard to EVs.

"We launched the A290 and A390, to add new customers and increase awareness of the brand, to put cars in the street. Now we are focusing on the new A110 and the new platform is not just for one shot like it was last time, but for some other cars," Krief said, hinting that more models will come from the A110's new Alpine Performance Platform (APP).

Alpine A110 Future test mule

Alpine A110 Future Prototype

Photo by: Alpine

APP will reportedly spawn a larger model with three electric motors, which will rival the Porsche 911. The CEO feels confident the A110 will be a true sports car, despite being electric, due to its light weight and excellent weight balance. APP can also accommodate a gas engine, if customers hate the all-electric version, but Krief doesn’t think Alpine will need to take this route.

"By Q4 2026, we will know. We will be ready to push the button on ICE. I don't know if we are going to push the button because we need to understand the second aspect, the markets. Because for us it's not like Porsche; this is not a de-risking plan. It's an opportunity. We’re not afraid to fail in terms of the EV," he explained.

Porsche has already delayed its electric 718 project due to low demand, and more recent reports suggest that rising costs could cause the German automaker to scrap the car entirely. That could leave Porsche without an affordable sports car model below the 911.

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"It has to be a sports car. So it has to be performant and fun to drive, extremely fun to drive. We have also made a huge step regarding the cockpit, to be timeless and we want to be extremely sporty and bespoke, in terms of personalization," he said of the new A110. "We also sized everything, especially the battery, to allow at least 20 minutes of track driving at full performance. This will make the car at least as good, and I believe even better, than the last A110."

Gallery: Alpine A110 Future test mule

Alpine A110 Future test mule

Source: Alpine

Motor1's Take: Assuming Alpine can get the weight balance right and add some drama with sound and gear shifting, the A110 can be as fun as a gas-powered car. Plus, it being an EV makes it more likely that this generation may finally come to the US, unlike the outgoing car.

More Alpine News

Alpine Declares This The First True Electric Sports Car

Alpine's A110 Successor Might Keep Its Gas Engine

Source: Evo

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