Alpine’s First Electric Sports Car Has Mid-Engine Proportions

You know times are changing when Alpine has not one, but two EVs in its lineup. Following the launch of the A290 hot hatch last year, Renault’s performance arm introduced the A390 this week as the brand’s first SUV. Sorry, it’s a sport fastback. Currently hidden under a cover, a third electric model is in the works for a 2026 release. It won’t be an addition to the lineup but rather a replacement for the gasoline-powered A110.

Alpine will stop taking orders for the turbocharged sports coupe in early 2026, shifting its focus to the EV successor. Initially, the Dieppe-based niche brand partnered with Lotus in 2021 to co-develop a small electric performance car. Just two years later, however, the companies parted ways. Renault chose to pursue the project independently, funding the model’s development without a partner.

While the upcoming electric A110 no longer features a 1.8-liter gasoline four-cylinder behind the seats, it still maintains the proportions of a mid-engine car. It retains Alpine’s signature quad lights, though they’ve evolved from circular to hexagonal. The company previously explored electric sports cars with the A110 E-ternity prototype, unveiled in 2022. That model weighed 3,037 pounds (1,378 kilograms), making it 568 pounds (258 kg) heavier than its internal combustion counterpart.

On the subject of weight, Renault CEO Luca de Meo has stated the production A110 EV will be lighter than ICE models in its segment, not that many of those are still available anyway. Porsche is discontinuing the 718 Boxster and Cayman in October, with electric replacements planned for the “medium term.” Although front-engined, we should mention the BMW Z4 M40i dies next year.

De Meo acknowledged that investing heavily in a niche product like the A110 EV was “not rational,” but the project was approved nonetheless. To help offset development costs, Alpine will also use the bespoke platform for the upcoming A310, a larger and more practical derivative with rear seats.

The new Alpine and Porsche EVs will enter the rarefied electric sports car space, which already includes the MG Cyberster. Currently sold only as a convertible, the Cyberster will soon gain a coupe version with rear seats to beat the A310 to the market.

Alpine’s portfolio will continue to grow with larger vehicles, at least one of which is expected to come to North America. Hopefully, the electric A110 will also receive a US visa. The ship has already sailed for the gas model, as production is set to end next year.