The Alpine A110 E-ternity is a 242 HP electric sports car lighter than a Porsche 718 Cayman
Published by The team in News the 22/07/2022 at 11:32
On the occasion of the F1 Grand Prix de France, Alpine presented a new prototype of the Alpine A110 with a 100% electric engine and, for the first time on an A110, a sunroof.
Named the Alpine A110 E-ternité, it develops an output of 178 kW (242 hp) and uses the same 60 kWh battery as the Renault Mégane E-Tech . The brand ensures that the electric A110 is able to travel up to 420 km without needing to recharge its battery.
"I want to electrify Alpine to be eternal," Luca de Meo reportedly said shortly after joining Groupe Renault as CEO, according to the statement.
Whether it's true or not, it serves as an excuse for the name of the car. E-ternité is a play on words, in French, between the E associated with electric and the word eternity, which means eternity.
Eternal or not, Alpine will change era from 2024. The French manufacturer will embark on its path towards a range of 100% electric cars. The brand has already announced three models: a crossover, a future R5 Alpine electric, and a sports car, developed in collaboration with Lotus and which would become the replacement for the A110.
The main challenge: limiting the weight
They had to retain the DNA of the model, namely its agility, its balance and its performance. For the engineers, who have been working on the project for a year, the challenge was immense. And it is that all these attributes are largely due to the very contained weight of the car: only 1,150 kg. The problem is that electric cars and being overweight go hand in hand.
Before you cut the weight, you need to get a balanced electric. Thus, for optimal weight distribution (42/58 between front and rear, compared to 43/57 on the standard A110), the twelve battery modules are arranged in casings (structural envelopes) perfectly adapted to the architecture of the car and its lack of space. In an SUV that wouldn't be a problem, but in a sedan placing the batteries is a headache.
The E-ternité has four modules at the front and eight at the rear. The complete battery weighs 392 kg. But since the A110 E-ternity loses the petrol engine and its accessories, while the weight of the electric motor has been reduced to 178 kW and 300 Nm, the total mass of the car has "only" increased by 258 kg. The A110 E-ternity weighs 1,378 kg, depending on the brand.
That a 242 hp electric, sporty cut and equipped with a 60 kWh battery weighs 1,378 kg is a feat. Although the brand recognizes that it has not reached its goal of a weight of 1,320 kg.
To get an idea, this E-ternity weighs 178 kg more than a small Mitsubishi i-MIEV and 18 kg more than a 22 kWh BMW i3 (first generation). Remember that a Renault Zoé already weighs 1,640 kg. More impressive. This electric A110 weighs 66 kg less than a basic Porsche 718 Cayman (1,440 kg).
A two-speed gearbox
According to Alpine, the A110 E-ternity accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. The standard A110 does it in 4.4s (4.2s if it's a 300hp A110 S). To achieve these values, Alpine has developed a new gearbox together with Getrag, which already supplies the A110 gearbox as standard.
"No gearbox available in the company has enabled Alpine engineers to meet the specifications of this A110 E-ternity", explains the manufacturer, in particular because the A110 is the only vehicle of the group which houses all its power in the rear.
This automatic transmission has two gears and works with a double clutch. What is the advantage of a change in this electric ? To be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h at the same time as the petrol version, but also to optimize the maximum speed, they explain at Alpine. The second gear makes it possible to reach 250 km/h.
Aesthetically, the A110 E-ternity features a discreet body kit, with a front spoiler, side sills, masks on the rear window and an original sunroof. This is made up of carbon fiber panels that can be removed. It's a way to keep the structural rigidity of the A110 and to be able to offer a sunroof. A priori, we will not see it in the current A110.
Alpine presented a second E-ternity unit. Blue in colour, it is equipped with flax fiber body panels. This more environmentally friendly material is considered an alternative to carbon fiber and is increasingly being tested in the automotive industry. Its Alpine rival Porsche already uses it in the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
This electric A110 is more than just a style and marketing exercise for the French F1 GP, it's a technical laboratory. The brand has already spent four months in testing and seven in development with the A110 E-ternity.
It serves to explore and glimpse what will be the technical solutions that we will see in the future electric Alpine series. And, right off the bat, it's reassuring to know that they've managed to keep the weight down considerably.
