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Alpine’s EV Crossover to Fuel Ambitious €8 Billion Goal
Renault is predicting 8 billion euros (USD$8.6 billion) in revenue for Alpine by 2030, courtesy of a few new stablemates. The sports car brand has announced aspirations to expand its single electric vehicle offering to three, with a midsize electric crossover and a larger, similar model, starting in 2027 or 2028. Hinged on entering the United States in 2028 as the brand’s “main destination”, CEO Laurent Rossi told journalists annual sales could reach “north of 150,000”.
RELATED: We Put an EV to the Test on Australia’s Most Iconic Drive. Here’s What We Learned
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi | Image: Alpine
It’s a lofty goal for a car brand that registered only 3,546 sales in 2022 for its one and only car (for now), the A1110 sports coupe. With upwards of 300 horsepower, 251 lb-ft torque, 0-100km/h miles in 4.5 seconds, and a max speed of 250km per hour, all powered by a 1.8L mid-rear mounted engine, the problem isn’t in the cars; it’s manufacturing them.
Built at the Renault factory in Dieppe in northern France, the plant has only 400 workers, with a capacity of 6,000 units every year. Despite the 33 per cent increase in sales for 2022, that’s still only half of what Alpine is capable of and 146,454 away from the “north of 150,000” goal.
But that’s 2022. Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo is dreaming of bigger plans, citing “unrealised potential in the premium segments,” according to coverage by Automotive News. Having already renamed Renault’s Formula One team as Alpine for increased exposure to tens of millions of F1 fans, the next step is gradually increasing the number of dealerships from 40 to 140.
2022 Alpine A110 next to the original | Image: Alpine
From the extra 100 sale points, the first cab off the rank (though you’ll need to wait until the second half of 2024) will be the “hot hatch” variant of the next Renault 5 compact EV, simply known as the Renault 5 Alpine. Following close behind in 2025 is the tentatively named “GT” model, a smaller but sportier crossover with a “bespoke” design that utilises a heavily modified Renault-Nissan platform.
According to Rossi, those two models will boost Alpine sales to around 35,000 units annually by 2025, a tenfold increase. The positioning of the two larger Alpine models – comparable to the Porsche Macan and Cayenne Coupe – considers both the European and American markets.
“We want to go to the US, which will create the bulk of the extra volume above and beyond the hot hatch and sporty car we are launching in 2025, and the successor to the A110,” he said. However, it’s still too early to tell what exactly Alpine has planned for the US market since the cars won’t be released until 2027 or 2028.
“(Alpine) can really take our time in exploring the best solutions and best collaborations,” he added, giving hints about the possibility of collaborations with other automakers or suppliers. Also in the pipeline is the A523 launch by the BWT Alpine F1 team on Thursday, 16th February, in London.
2022 Alpine A110 | Image: Alpine
Elliot Nash
Elliot Nash is a journalist and content producer from Sydney with over five years’ experience in the digital media space. He holds a Bachelor of Communications (Media Arts & Production) from the University of Technology Sydney and a Diploma of Screen & Media from the Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE. Specialising in pop culture, news & current affairs, photography, audio and hi-fi, Elliot’s work has featured in 9News.com.au, 7NEWS.com.au, Next Luxury, Alive Radio and WhistleOut. He currently works as a Context Executive at Yoghurt Digital.
