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Alpine Bets on Verkor to Offer Dream Garage High-Performance EVs

Alpine Dream EV Garage 8 photos
Photo: Alpine
Alpine C-Segment Sport CrossoverAlpine A110 ReplacementAlpine Dream EV GarageRenault 5 EVRenault's CMF-EV ArchitectureRenault Megane E-Tech ElectricRenault's CMF-BEV Architecture
Back in January, Alpine disclosed its plans to adapt to electromobility and a world that would not accept combustion engines in a matter of years. According to the company, it will have a “dream garage” composed of a B-segment hot hatch, a C-segment sports crossover to pay the bills, and a replacement for the A110 developed with Lotus.
All three vehicles were teased at the Renault eWays ElectroPop press conference. Renault also revealed how it plans to bring them to life: with Verkor.

The French battery startup made a deal with Renault that involves a 20% stake in Verkor and plans to build a factory for high-performance cells. It will start in 2022 with a pilot production line for these batteries. In 2026, Verkor will create a proper factory with 10 kWh of capacity. The plan is to double that production volume by 2030.

Curiously, Alpine will start presenting its electric vehicles in 2024. That means that these high-performance cells will first come from the pilot production line. Thinking about volumes, the company should start with the car that will demand fewer cells. The obvious choice is the A110 replacement.

When it has a plant for more cells, it may start manufacturing its volume vehicles. The B-segment hot hatch – based on the CMF-BEV platform – should have the highest output. On the other hand, the C-segment CMF-EV crossover will provide the beefier profit margins in the lineup, so it could arrive first. Alpine will just have to measure demand very carefully: C-segment crossovers are incredibly popular in Europe, which may lead to more sales of the crossover compared to those of the hatchback.

The silhouettes presented by Alpine suggest we will have the A110, the Renault 5, and the Mégane E-Tech Electric with the Alpine treatment. To be honest, the crossover looks like a coupe version of the Mégane E-Tech Electric, which would fit quite well the “sport crossover” qualification. Whatever it will be, we’re years from knowing the real deal. Hopefully, they will be enough to keep Alpine alive.
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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
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Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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