Alpine to Build its Own Platform for Electric Sports Car
Alpine, the French sports car manufacturer, has announced that it will build its own platform for its planned electric sports car. The company aims to produce more than one model using the new architecture, according to Luca de Meo, CEO of Alpine parent Renault Group. The decision comes after Alpine cancelled its joint collaboration with Lotus to produce a sports car in May, leaving questions about Alpine’s commitment to include a sports car in its shift to electric.
Renault is positioning Alpine as a premium brand that will leverage both Renault technology and platforms from outside the group. The sports car collaboration with Lotus was announced in 2021 and spoken of as a win for both brands in keeping the costs of building a bespoke electric platform down. However, Renault’s decision to go it alone on the platform will increase costs for what will be a niche halo product, designed to take over from the A110 coupé.
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi has said that the premium brand will launch five cars in five years, starting with next year’s Renault 5-based A290 hot hatch and followed by the GT X-Over compact crossover due in 2025. The electric sports car was due in 2026 with two larger SUVs aimed predominantly at the US market arriving after that.
Alpine will reveal more about its future line-up at an investor day to be held next Monday (26 July), said de Meo. De Meo hinted at a halo hypercar, saying, “You never know with me.” The decision to exit the Lotus collaboration was amicable, said de Meo. “There was no friction with the thing because everybody was feeling like this was the best thing,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t have opportunities to work together again.”
Alpine’s Commitment to Electric Sports Cars
Alpine has confirmed that it is committed to producing electric sports cars, despite cancelling its joint collaboration with Lotus to produce a sports car in May. The company will build its own platform for its planned electric sports car, with the aim of producing more than one model using the new architecture. Renault is positioning Alpine as a premium brand that will leverage both Renault technology and platforms from outside the group.
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi has said that the premium brand will launch five cars in five years, starting with next year’s Renault 5-based A290 hot hatch and followed by the GT X-Over compact crossover due in 2025. The electric sports car was due in 2026 with two larger SUVs aimed predominantly at the US market arriving after that.
Renault CEO Luca de Meo has confirmed that Alpine will build its own platform for its planned electric sports car with the aim of producing more than one model. De Meo hinted at a halo hypercar, saying, “You never know with me.” The decision to exit the Lotus collaboration was amicable, said de Meo. “There was no friction with the thing because everybody was feeling like this was the best thing,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t have opportunities to work together again.”
Renault’s Positioning of Alpine as a Premium Brand
Renault is positioning Alpine as a premium brand that will leverage both Renault technology and platforms from outside the group. The sports car collaboration with Lotus was announced in 2021 and spoken of as a win for both brands in keeping the costs of building a bespoke electric platform down. However, Renault’s decision to go it alone on the platform will increase costs for what will be a niche halo product, designed to take over from the A110 coupé.
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi has said that the premium brand will launch five cars in five years, starting with next year’s Renault 5-based A290 hot hatch and followed by the GT X-Over compact crossover due in 2025. The electric sports car was due in 2026 with two larger SUVs aimed predominantly at the US market arriving after that.
Renault CEO Luca de Meo has confirmed that Alpine will build its own platform for its planned electric sports car with the aim of producing more than one model. De Meo hinted at a halo hypercar, saying, “You never know with me.” The decision to exit the Lotus collaboration was amicable, said de Meo. “There was no friction with the thing because everybody was feeling like this was the best thing,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t have opportunities to work together again.”
Conclusion
Alpine has confirmed that it is committed to producing electric sports cars, despite cancelling its joint collaboration with Lotus to produce a sports car in May. The company will build its own platform for its planned electric sports car, with the aim of producing more than one model using the new architecture. Renault is positioning Alpine as a premium brand that will leverage both Renault technology and platforms from outside the group. The decision to exit the Lotus collaboration was amicable, said de Meo. “There was no friction with the thing because everybody was feeling like this was the best thing,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t have opportunities to work together again.”