Alpine, the French carmaker, is working on an electric supercar. At present it has no name, and is referred to as Future Alpine Supercar. And apart from knowing that it is being developed at a new R&D centre due to open this year, that’s all the key data revealed.
The new research centre, known as Hypertech Alpine, is part of the Viry-Châtillon Formula 1 engine facility located south of Paris. Its focus is future EV technologies. There Alpine is developing sports car batteries that will power the upcoming A110 EV. It is also working on ultra-high density cells planned for use in future solid-state battery packs. The latter will undergo testeding in high-stress operating conditions for supercar-type applications, according to Alpine.
Ultra-efficient electric motors under development with Ampere, Renault’s new EV and software arm.
This all indicates that the new supercar will be a running R&D showcase for Alpine’s future EV tech, rather than a production version of the brand’s Alpenglow concept. That was powered by a hydrogen V6 powertrain.
However, the Alpenglow concept hints at the design of the future supercar. Alpine design chief, Antony Villain, previously told Autocar UK that the concept was created with a production car “in mind”. Alpine confirmed that engine development for the Alpine F1 team would end at the site by 2026. The site has built F1 engines since Renault entered the sport in the 1970s.
“Creating this Hypertech Alpine centre is key to Alpine’s development strategy and, more broadly, to the group’s innovation strategy,” said Alpine CEO Philippe Krief.
“Racing DNA remains a cornerstone of the brand.”
