Expected for 2026, the third generation of Alpine A110 will not be content to switch to 100% electric. It will also be developed in collaboration with Lotus. The British brand is even already unveiling the bases, which promise to be light and adapted to various configurations.
Despite the failure of its collaboration with Caterham on the current A110, Alpine is not angry with the British brands. Quite the contrary. For the next generation of its berlinetta, the manufacturer of Dieppe this time signed an agreement, in January 2021, with an actor with stronger backs: Lotus. A rather logical choice, since the two partners adept at “ light is right ” are each preparing the launch of a 100% electric sports car for the second half of the decade. The deadline is therefore still far away, but that does not prevent Lotus from taking the lead. The manufacturer is already unveiling the architecture that will be used by its future Type 135 as the replacement for the A110, under the code name Project Leva (Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture). A platform that the Lotus Engineering department can also offer to other manufacturers.
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Lighter rear structure than the Emira
Now owned by the Chinese giant Geely, the company Ethel announces in particular a rear structure 37% lighter than that of the all new Emira V6 Toyota. A way to reassure purists frightened by the weight of the batteries, whose capacity here can range from 66 to 100 kWh. Already at the heart of the design of the Elise, sold since 1996, aluminum will still be used extensively. The two projects bear the mark of the same engineer, Richard Rackham. But here the bolted parts have been eliminated, while the accumulators will be integrated directly into the structure.
Up to 884 hp in propulsion!
This new base will also prove to be more flexible than its predecessor, which had nevertheless enabled the birth of countless derivatives … including that of the first Tesla Roadster! In addition to the two battery capacities already mentioned, Lotus announces the possibility of installing one or two electric motors, which would make it possible to offer either up to 350 kW (476 hp), or outright 650 kW (884 ch). On the other hand, on the diagrams unveiled, these two electromotors seem invariably installed at the rear, which would imply the absence of all-wheel drive. This would therefore not correspond to the information on the future Alpine which had been revealed a few months ago by the member of a forum posing as an employee of a German equipment manufacturer. It then evoked a version with four-wheel drive and three engines.
TO READ. Alpine. An electric GT 2 + 2 of 400 hp based on Lotus in 2025?
A 2 + 2 configuration possible
On the other hand, the hypothesis of a “2 +2” advanced by the same person remains entirely plausible. The Project Leva is indeed compatible with this configuration as well as with a two-seater coupe or roadster thanks to its wheelbase which can vary from 2.47 m to more than 2.65 m. This will also influence the way the battery is installed: if it is installed vertically and behind the seats on the two-person models, like the Evija hypercar, it will take place under the floor and horizontally on the cars. four seater. With the consequence of raising the center of gravity and the driving position. Not necessarily ideal for a new Alpine… But with a launch only planned in 2026 for the Type 135 as for the future A110, the contours of the project still have time to refine.