The all-new Alpine A110 coupe and roadster could be petrol powered

Alpine has confirmed the all-electric replacement for its A110 sports car will not only be an electric model utilising the powertrain from the new A390, but it will also be available as a two-seater coupe and roadster, as well as a 2+2. It could, potentially, also be offered with a petrol-hybrid engine…

The current A110, launched in 2018, has only ever been available as a two-seater coupe powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a seven-speed (six-speed in R Ultime-form) double-clutch gearbox driving the rear wheels. For its replacement, due in 2027, the all-electric A110 will borrow little, if anything, from the A290 and A390 models.

> Panic over. The Porsche Cayman and Boxster aren’t going electric-only after all

Nine years after its launch, Alpine A110 production will end in 2026 as the firm continues its transition to an all-electric lineup. Its replacement will be made at Alpine’s Dieppe factory alongside the A390 and will target the Porsche Cayman EV. While its arrival is still some 18-24 months away, CEO Philippe Krief has provided some insight to the company’s first electrified sports car.

News of the electric A110 first materialised in 2022 amidst the announcement from the CEO Luca de Meo's plan to turn Alpine EV-only. A 2024 launch for an electrified A110 was initially proposed at the project’s infancy, but Krief revealed that it’s now just under two years away, putting its expected launch in early 2027.

We’ve already seen a preview in the form of 2022's A110 E-Ternité, but this was no more than a prototype proof of concept with running gear from a Megane E-Tech. We do know that Alpine’s engineers managed to retain a similar wheelbase and overall dimensions to the current car, but for now design details are thin on the ground, with Krief saying ‘the design of the new one will make the current car look old.’

Remaining rear-wheel drive, the all-electric A110 will use the two electric motors from the A390 on the rear axle and will also feature Alpine Torque Vectoring (ATV); Krief also told evo that it will have more power than the new A390 crossover, which produces up to 464bhpl. 

While the Alpine A390 features a dual-motor rear axle itself, Alpine says the new A110 will share virtually nothing with it but the Alpine badge. Instead, the electric A110 will utilise a bespoke powertrain and new-generation battery tech to maximise energy density and minimise loss of performance over time. A target weight of less than 1300kg is also expected – the A290 hatch weighs 1479kg.

Alpine is even hoping to make the battery pack in the electric A110 replaceable, allowing buyers to both maintain maximum performance, upgrade to the latest chemistry and in theory, avoid some of the disastrous depreciation associated with every other high end performance EV currently on the market. Ferrari is also taking a similar approach with its hybrid models, with Krief overseeing the development of replacement battery packs for the LaFerrari in his previous role there as CTO.

Development of the all-electric Alpine A110 is well advanced and timing is on track for its arrival to coincide with Porsche’s all-electric Cayman. There is, of course, one small issue - the catastrophic collapse of the electric car market, which has seen Porsche confirm it will continue to offer petrol engined Boxster and Cayman models alongside their electric relations. And Alpine? Parent company Renault owns a 45 percent stake in Horse Powertrains, a company that specialises in internal combustion engines, hybrid technology and range extenders; the petrol powered A110 might not be dead just yet…