There are plenty of drivers with major concerns about electric cars, namely their premium price tag, range and charging anxiety and the environmental impact of sourcing materials for their batteries.
But for the droves of petrol heads and fast-car enthusiasts, their biggest fear is that electric vehicles offer little in terms of excitement.
However, they might think again when they cast their eyes over a new hot hatch EV unveiled by Alpine this week.
Not only does it promise to set performance car fans’ pulses racing, it also takes inspiration from an eighties French rallying icon.
The electric car that will get even the most devoted petrol heads excited: Alpine has unveiled its A290 concept – a battery-powered hot hatchback that goes on sale next year and could cost around £40k
Alpine, which is the performance car wing of Renault, on Tuesday evening unveiled its A290 concept, previewing an electric hot hatch that could be on sale in 2024.
It will take its parent company’s reborn Renault 5 and soup it up into a 21st Century electrified version of the legendary 5 Turbo.
While the eagerly-anticipated electric Renault 5 is yet to be fully revealed, we know that it will be built on a new CMF-BEV platform specially created for battery-powered machines.
The Alpine A290 (right) will be the performance version of the new electric Renault 5 remake (concept pictured left), which is also expected to be revealed later this year
Alpine, which is the performance car wing of Renault, on Tuesday evening unveiled its A290 concept
Alpine say the A290 show car has been honed by its development team – including the F1 team’s pair of French drivers, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon – who have spent ‘ dozens of hours on the tracks’ to fine tune the hot hatch
With Alpine set to take over the mantle from the Renaultsport division when it comes to tuning potent versions of Renault’s practical road cars, the A290 is promised to be the ‘first car in a new era’ for the historic French marque.
Laurent Rossi, Alpine’s CEO described it as ‘the first step towards the all-electric Dream Garage in 2024’.
He added: ‘This urban show car has rewritten the playbook for electric hot hatches.
‘The A290_β is tapping into its rich legacy and ushering Alpine into the future, with an everyday experience of the motor sports spirit that has inspired the brand since its inception.’
Its shape is heavily influenced by the boxy proportions of the 5 Turbo, which was produced by Renault during the 1980s, as its contender in the infamous and ferocious Group B rally period.
The Alpine A290’s shape is heavily influenced by the boxy proportions of the original 1980s 5 Turbo (pictured)
The 5 Turbo was produced by Renault during the 1980s as its contender in the infamous – and ferocious – Group B rally period
The 5 remains one of Renault’s most iconic cars, while the Turbo is fondly remembered for its on-track performance
READ MORE: Abarth’s electric hot hatch
Bright spark: This is the new Abarth 500e – the performance arm of Fiat’s take on a hot electric hatchback
One of the Alpine’s biggest rivals will be the recently launched Abarth 500e – a battery-powered hot hatch that costs from £34,195 and is anything but quiet.
It’s not only the first electric car in the 73 year history of the Italian performance car brand, it’s also the first to create an artificial Abarth ‘roar’ using a sound generator feature which reproduces the legendary sound of the conventional Abarth petrol engine.
This includes its square haunches, wide wheel arches, a pair of tower light clusters in a sloped rear hatchback and the addition of futuristic spotlights up front.
Alpine say it’s been honed by its development team – including the F1 team’s pair of French drivers, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon – who have spent ‘dozens of hours on the tracks’ to fine tune the hot hatch.
‘The overarching goal was to treat the driver as well as the passengers to thrills and chills they have never experienced before,’ the company says.
This includes tweaking how power is delivered from the battery and single electric motor to the wheels and the introduction of a new multi-link rear suspension setup to improve driving dynamics.
The result, Alpine says, is a car that is ‘pleasantly playful at low and mediums speeds’ but becomes ‘extremely stable’ when the driver decides it’s time to floor the throttle.
While Alpine hasn’t confirmed performance figures, the A290 is likely to use a 52kWh battery that will offer in the region of 250 miles from a full charge.
A rapid charger should boost the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in around half an hours.
‘The overarching goal was to treat the driver as well as the passengers to thrills and chills they have never experienced before,’ Alpine says
The A290 features the original Renault 5 Turbo’s square haunches, wide wheel arches, a pair of tower light clusters in a sloped rear hatchback and the addition of futuristic spotlights up front
Renault revealed in early 2021 that it was bringing the Renault 5 back as an all-new electric car that will be more affordable than its smallest existing EV, the Zoe. The concept (right) is pictured alongside the original classic
Two options for the electric motors are expected, with one providing in the region of 215bhp and a quicker – but faster battery-zapping – unit around 270bhp.
Stopping power will come from the same four-piston brakes as the Alpine A110 sports car, though incorporating a regenerative energy system to send charge back to the battery during deceleration.
Alpine has confirmed it will be available with three driving modes with ascending levels of power and sharpness – these rise from Wet to Dry and ‘Full’, the last of which will likely drain the battery much quicker.
The new electric Renault 5 (left) will be build on a new CMF-BEV platform specially created for battery-powered machines. The Alpine hot hatch version (right) will share the same platform but with a few notable chassis upgrades
Alpine’s development team has tweaked how power is delivered from the battery and single electric motor to the wheels and fitted new multi-link rear suspension setup to improve driving dynamics
The combination of chassis upgrades promises to deliver a car that is ‘ pleasantly playful at low and mediums speeds’ but becomes ‘extremely stable’ when the driver decides it’s time to floor the throttle
While Alpine hasn’t confirmed performance figures, the A290 is likely to use a 52kWh battery that will offer in the region of 250 miles from a full charge. A rapid charger should boost the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in around half an hours
Inside, the concept model shown features a largely racing-car style stripped-down cabin and a three-seat layout, with the driver in a central position and flanked by two passengers.
The likelihood is this arrangement won’t be carried forward to the production model, which will have a more conventional five-seat layout.
Inside, the concept model shown features a largely racing-car style stripped-down cabin and a three-seat layout, with the driver in a central position and flanked by two passengers
The likelihood is this arrangement won’t be carried forward to the production model, which will have a more conventional five-seat layout
The Alpine concept’s seating position mimics that of the iconic McLaren F1 supercar designed by Gordon Murray. The legendary car designer has also incorporated the same same seating layout for his latest range of Gordon Murray Automotive vehicles
‘We created something completely geared for the future,’ says Raphaël Linari, the car’s chief designer.
‘We wanted up-to-the-minute surfaces, details and materials, a vehicle that fulfils every Alpine promise, that’s exciting, surprising, and not even remotely nostalgic or backward-looking.’
Bosses said order books in Europe will likely open in 2024 alongside the Renault 5, which will be officially unveiled later this year.
While the Renault is said to cost less than the existing Zoe EV (which currently starts at £29,995 in the UK), this hot hatch version will likely ring in closer to £40,000, pitching it at a similar price point to its two existing rivals – the Abarth 500e and Cupra’s Born.
Bosses have said that order books for the Alpine A290 will open in 2024 alongside the Renault 5, which will be officially unveiled later this year
While the Renault is said to cost less than the existing Zoe EV (which currently starts at £29,995 in the UK), this hot hatch version will likely ring in closer to £40,000
A £40k price tag will pitch the Alpine at a similar price point to its two existing rivals – the Abarth 500e and Cupra’s Born
VIDEO
BEST OF MOTORING
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.
