Alpine A110 goes electric: brand promises a sports car, not a battery rocket

Alpine is preparing the riskiest model change in its history: the new A110 will be fully electric. Its first public outing happens on 9–12 July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, but visitors won’t see the finished production car — they’ll see a test mule, an important signal that the project has moved past the presentation stage.

This is dangerous territory for Alpine. The current A110 is loved not for raw power but for its low weight, balance and old-school sports-car feel. That makes electrification harder here than on an SUV: a battery can easily turn a coupe into a fast but heavy gadget. Alpine promises to avoid that trap with the new Alpine Performance Platform (APP), developed specifically for electric sports cars rather than borrowed from a regular crossover. The architecture is aluminium, runs on 800 volts and uses two battery packs — one over the front axle, one over the rear — for a 40:60 weight distribution, like a proper mid-engine sports car.

The company is calling the upcoming A110 “the world’s first true electric sports car”. The phrasing is bold, but the intent is clear: Alpine isn’t chasing Tesla on acceleration. It wants to compete with the Porsche 718 Cayman, Lotus, the next wave of electric sports coupes — and with its own combustion legacy. If the car keeps a sharp steering feel, a low driving position and a lively throttle response, buyers will forgive the missing exhaust. If not, the A110 becomes just another expensive EV with a nice backstory.

Exact specs haven’t been confirmed. Alpine CEO Philippe Krief says kerb weight will be in line with today’s combustion rivals — around 1500 kg — with range exceeding 550 km. For a sports car that’s smarter than chasing a 100 kWh battery: less mass means more driving pleasure, less tyre wear and a more honest take on the A110 philosophy. The petrol model leaves production in 2027, so there will be almost no gap between eras.

The market backdrop works both for and against Alpine. Affordable sports cars are getting rarer, the Porsche 718 is moving into its electric era, Lotus stopped being simple and accessible a long time ago, and Chinese EVs are strong on power but rarely sell fine-tuned chassis feel. Alpine has a real chance to take the niche for buyers who don’t want the fastest electric car, but the most alive one.

Goodwood will show intent, not a finished car. Alpine has to prove that lightness isn’t only kilograms on a spec sheet — it’s how the car responds to the driver.