It’s been about 18 months since Alpine announced that it would become an EV-only brand later this decade. We know the company plans to expand its lineup to include a crossover and a hatchback, but both are still a few years away from production. For now, Alpine offers the A110, but a new prototype provides a glance at the brand’s electrified future.
Alpine calls the EV prototype the A110 E-ternity, and engineers were able to fit a battery pack and electric motor into the coupe. It’s quite the feat, with Alpine having to modify the 12 battery modules, placing four in the front and eight in the rear. EV powertrains aren’t light, and Alpine EV gains about 568 pounds (258 kilograms) over the ICE variant, tipping the scales at 3,037 lbs (1,378 kG). Alpine targeted 2,910 lbs (1,320 kg).
Gallery: Alpine A110 E-ternity Prototype
The Alpine borrows its powertrain components from the Renault Mégane E-Tech. The E-ternity produces 238 horsepower (178 kilowatts) and 221 pound-feet (300 Newton-meters) of torque. The ICE variant makes a bit more power, delivering 288 hp (215 kW) and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm). The ICE is also quicker to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour), needing 4.4 seconds to the EV’s 4.5.
Alpine did more to the A110 than swap out the powertrain. The E-ternity prototype also includes other innovations, like an open-roof design. The brand was able to engineer a removable roof without impacting the car’s rigidity, which Alpine made with recycled carbon. Alpine designed and built it in-house. Alpine also made some components from flax, which it calls “a material of the future.”
Another innovation Alpine added swaps out your typical dash-mounted infotainment screen for the driver’s own personal tablet. The car also includes an eight-speaker sound system with a subwoofer.
The Alpine A110 E-ternity does not look different from its ICE counterpart. The car will make its world premiere at the upcoming French Formula 1 Grand Prix. Alpine partnered with Lotus in 2021, and the two are working on a new sports car that is set to become the next A110. The car allegedly rides on a Lotus-developed modular platform, and we’re pretty excited for it to arrive after seeing what EVs are possible with Alpine’s new prototype.
