We have seen renderings for years. We have seen teasers for just as long. We do have a design, there is also a launch date that seems set in stone, and there is a base spec, which has a price. The Alpha Wolf sounds like a very competitive pickup, but there is a twist: it doesn't really exist!
Alpha Motor Corporation has been unveiling models for the past four years, but none of them has ever been sent to the market, and none of them has ever been sent to production. We got to see the Alpha Ace Coupe, the electric two-door with retro styling. The California-based startup then proceeded with the unveiling of a crossover, a sedan, an SUV, and a pickup, trying to extend into almost every single segment out there. However, this seems very far-fetched right now because CGI-ing an entire lineup won't get them anywhere.
It is actually starting to look like Alpha is playing Hide and Seek with those waiting to actually see an actual production vehicle. Now, while still waiting for the first model to be launched on the market, which is actually the last one presented, we get the pricing info. Therefore, the entry-level rear-wheel drive Wolf pickup starts at $36,000 and goes all the way to $46,000.
Alpha is prioritizing the Wolf truck, despite having unveiled the Ace coupe, Jax crossover, Saga sedan, and Rex SUV. On the startup's official website, potential customers can reserve any of these modele by submitting their name, email, and phone number. But how long they will have to wait is yet unknown.
The company has now revealed the base price is for the Wolf with a single motor, mounted on the rear axle and generating 101 horsepower (102 metric horsepower) and 118 pound-feet of torque. Wolf claims that the peak power is somewhere between 134 and 201 horsepower (135 and 204 metric horsepower), while the peak torque is rated at 258 pound-feet (350 Newton meters).
Photo: Alpha Motor Corporation
Those should make the Wolf accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 4.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 125 mph (200 kph). However, those numbers should be for the all-wheel drive because, back in July 2023, we got 6.2 seconds for the same run, which should be the numbers for the rear-wheel drive Wolf.
The Alpha Wolf is smaller than Ford's entry-level pickup, Maverick
The Alpha pickup should measure 190 inches (4,828 millimeters) in length, 75 inches (1,900 millimeters) in width, and 69 inches (1,765 millimeters) in height, with a bed under 6 feet (1,828 millimeters) long.
All these figures make it smaller than Ford's Maverick, for instance. Alpha should roll out the Wolf as an extended-cabin version (Wolf+) and with a double cab (SuperWolf).
The Wolf should tip the scales at 4,000 pounds (1,814 kilograms) and have a towing capacity of 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms), which is nothing to write home about but decent in the segment.
Photo: Alpha Motor Corporation
The company claims that the model can drive between 250 (402 kilometers) and 350 miles (563 kilometers) on a single charge, as energy is stored in a lithium-ion battery pack with a capacity variants between 45 and 100 kWh.
But those are just simple suppositions because Wolf has never actually built a customer-specced vehicle. So we are not getting any definite information for the moment. Alpha Motor claims that the pickup is capable of DC fast charging but does not mention any charging speed.
Disc brakes on all four corners provide the stopping power. The pickup is equipped with a regenerative braking system and rides on an independent suspension setup at the front and leaf springs at the rear.
Hide and Seek with the switches on board the Alpha Wolf
Images from inside the cabin confirm the minimalist approach of the exterior. A touchscreen controls many of the functions of the vehicle, while the relevant driving information is displayed on the instrument cluster, integrating two large dials with chrome surrounds. A digital instrument cluster is optional.
The different images from inside the cabin, with more or fewer buttons on the dashboard, confirm that, once the lineup hits the market, it will be available with various trims. One of the dashboard photos shows that there are no physical buttons, while a detailed image reveals switches for the the climate control.
Photo: Alpha Motor Corporation
Alpha Motor has only built prototypes of the Wolf truck so far but not of the Ace, Rex, Saga, and Jax. So, the startup is kind of trailing behind its own plans. With these models unveiled as CGIs for the past three years, we still have no production version yet.
'Who's the founder' saga has been clarified
Last summer, Alpha Motor's CEO and founder Edward Lee showed up in a video and announced that the production of the Wolf pickup would kick off before the end of 2023. But this is March 2024 already. And there is still no sign of a production version, not to mention mass production.
It is difficult to count on the startup's credibility because, in the first episode of the "Who in the world is the Founder of the Company?" virtual saga, Alpha was reportedly founded by two former baristas, Joshua Boyt and Jay Lijewski. No sign of them right now, either.
Photo: Alpha Motor Corporation
One more bizarre thing in this story is the fact that Alpha Wolf is the name of an Australian metalcore brand. So that is one of the first results you get when you google the model.
Furthermore, last year, hoctcars.com discovered that the registered address of the company is the same as that of another EV startup, Neuron. But Neuron simply disappeared. However, representatives of Alpha informed us that they never shared the address ith any other company.
If the Alpha Wolf is ever going to be the Alpha pickup in the segment, we have yet to see. But by the way things look right now, they haven't even started this race. We can't wait to see them in action, though.
Google News