Alpine is a company that has fully electric the future – and before a host of new models, Renault-own performance The brand has now revealed its EV vision based on A110 sport car.
Unveiled on the eve of the French Grand Prix weekend, the A110 E-ternité concept was designed to celebrate Alpine’s 60th birthday and showcase the exploratory work its engineers are undertaking on the road. electric power. The powertrain uses the same battery modules as the newly launched device Renault Megane E-Techbut they have to be rearranged to squeeze into the existing frame of the A110.
The battery pack has an overall weight of 392kg, but Alpine says clever construction techniques elsewhere have reduced the weight of the combustion engine A110 to just 258kg. The package’s 60kWh capacity allows the E-ternité to travel up to 261 miles between charges.
The car uses the Renault Group’s ‘standard electronic engine’, driving the rear wheels. It makes 239bhp and 300Nm of torque, and engineers have worked with gearbox supplier Alpine to develop a new dual-clutch, two-speed transmission that takes full advantage of these numbers. It helps the car deliver strong acceleration, with a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds, yet keeping a relatively high top speed for the EV of 155mph.
The most obvious physical difference from the current petrol A110 is the open hood. Engineers used in-house technology to build a carbon fiber roof cover, answering what Alpine calls “the need for a convertible A110”. Inside, there’s a new infotainment setup that uses the driver’s own Android tablet to help keep their apps and profile focused. The system also drives an upgraded eight-speaker stereo system.
Alpine has actually built two A110 E-Ternité models – one is engineering, the other is designed to highlight new developments in materials like linen – but the company hasn’t made any announcements about its plans. manufacturing. However, it is conceivable that the all-electric A110 could be offered as a ‘bridge’ model between the current car, which debuted in 2017, and the all-electric sports car. electric by Alpine, which it is developing with Lotus. The latter is expected to arrive until 2025, potentially allowing for a very limited production time of the electric A110s at Alpine’s facility in Dieppe. Given the technology and quantity involved, they will cost significantly more than the internal combustion variant.
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