Alpine, the sports car division of Renault Group, has revealed a car model that will be their first EV. This new car is named Alpine A110. And it runs on a fully electric powertrain. The announcement of this new Alpine EV follows the promise of Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, who wanted to add some electric touch to this division. Then, how will this car be?
Alpine A110 E-Ternite Specifications
A110 was created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of this model. This new car comes with the code E-Ternite. Similar to the current Alpine A110, this prototype also uses the combination of the classic French sports car design that makes Renault is known in the world and the futuristic touch.
Alpine made this design to bridge this car manufacturer’s historical past and the ambitious future. Despite its excellent design, we think it is one of the most challenging projects that Alpine ever had. One of the reasons is the conversion process from the sports car to the full-electric sports car. Alpine 110 models are well-known for their speed and lightweight.
The original A110 weighs in at around 1,100 kg. Thanks to that, it can run much faster on track. Then, converting it into EV means they need to change the structure of the frame and how the motor was placed. In the end, the weight increased by 392 kg. However, the Alpine team has successfully modified several parts of the car, which reduce the total weight to only 1,378 kg. It is still far from their target, which is 1,320 kg. But, it is still a satisfying result as of now.
Alpine A110 E-Ternite Engine and Performance
How did they do that? The goal is to match the original A110 performance and agility. Therefore, Alpine uses the help of Renault Megane E-Tech to decrease the weight of the battery. On the Alpine 110 EV version, you can find a 12 cells battery that matches the architecture of the original A110. Then, they place it in a different area to create ideal weight distribution, where four cells are at the front and eight cells at the rear.
Alpine A110 E-ternite Battery
This new battery has 60kWh of capacity. It produces 200kW of power or around 268 horsepower. As for the speed, the EV can run from 0-62 mph within 4.5 seconds. It is pretty close to the original model’s performance. Furthermore, it also has a high maximum speed of 155 mph. As for distance range, with a fully-charged battery, the Alpine A110 E-Ternite can run up to 261 miles or 420 km.
Additionally, the new A110 also has an innovative gearbox. It uses a double-clutch transmission (DCT). Then, it is combined with the electronic control that you also can find on the original A110. However, Alpine adds a new design that allows it to change the gear smoothly in high torque values. As for the features, we can see it directly from its exterior. Alpine changed the roof design and resized it to feel more like a convertible car. Then, they add a pair of roof shells made of recycled carbon to produce better strength and protection. Inside, you can find an eight-speaker audio system and an innovative multimedia system that the driver can control through a tablet screen.
As a model to celebrate the A110 anniversary, it seems it won’t enter the production stage. However, with the promise from Renault’s boss to add more electrification to Alpine, who knows, in the future, this model could appear as one of the EV releases from this brand. As for now, you can enjoy this car at the French Grand Prix event or from the photo later.