Alpine has slammed the brakes on their electric sports car roughly a year and a half after announcing plans to develop the model with Lotus.
In a statement obtained by Autocar, Alpine said “We have decided not to progress with the joint development of a sports car for Alpine. This is a mutual decision reached amicably, and we will continue to discuss other future opportunities.”
It’s not immediately clear why Alpine decided to bail, but the model was originally announced last year as part of the brand’s effort to reinvent itself for a new generation of “discerning, passionate early-adopters.” At the time, the company said the car would be a “100% EV replacement of the A110” and a key part of their product plan. The latter also includes an electric B-segment hot hatch based on the CMF-B EV platform and a C-segment crossover based on the CMF-EV platform.
More: Alpine A110 E-ternité Debuts In Paris As A 239 HP Electric Prototype With Removable Roof Panel
However, as Alpine alluded to at the time, nothing was set in stone. As they said, “Groupe Renault and Lotus Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to study a number of areas of cooperation, including the joint development of an EV sportscar. The Alpine and Lotus teams will conduct a comprehensive feasibility study for the joint engineering, design and development of an EV sportscar by leveraging the resources, expertise and facilities of the respective entities in both France and the UK.”
The model was expected to serve as an electric halo for Alpine and this would have fit in nicely with Groupe Renault’s plan to have the brand be at the forefront of innovation, technology, and customer experience. That plan will likely remain unchanged, but only time will tell on how Alpine will proceed with an A110 successor.
