Lotus and Alpine to co-develop EV sports car

Relationships between the British and the French have historically been sub-optimal, with Anglo-French wars raging for centuries, but Renault and Lotus are set to heal past quarrels with a lean, green EV machine.

Renault’s sports car division, Alpine, and iconic sports car brand Lotus have confirmed they will join forces to “study a number of areas of cooperation, including the joint development of an EV sports car.”

At this stage it seems unlikely the new EV sports car would be an Alpine version of the Lotus Evija, a brain-melting 300km/h-plus electric hypercar that costs $3 million a pop and is limited to just 130 units. And generates 2000hp or 1470kW.

Instead, we are more likely to see a mainstream EV sports car that won’t cost the earth or require an aerospace engineering degree to drive. Given the track record of both companies, a compact, lightweight, two-seater sports car is almost certain to be the first fruit of the alliance.

It’s understood that Alpine has been under pressure to make the switch to EVs and this collaboration will help reduce development costs for the tiny Franco car-maker.

Alpine also needs a new flagship sports car to leverage the rebranding of the Renault F1 team, which will contest the 2021 F1 season as the rebranded Alpine F1 team.

Whether the new EV sports car turns out to be a next-gen electric Lotus Elise that shares its underpinnings with an EV version of the circa-$100,000 Alpine A110 remains to be seen, but executives from both brands were chattering like excited children.

“Today’s announcement is the first step in what is set to be a hugely rewarding collaboration between our iconic brands,” enthused Phil Popham, Lotus Cars CEO.

“It is a natural fit in many ways and the co-development of an EV sports car is hugely exciting for our companies, our fans and customers around the world.”

Just as BMW and Toyota joined forces to create the latest BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra, and then shared key vehicle technology for EVs and hybrids, Lotus and (Renault-owned) Alpine are expected to extend their co-operation beyond the one sports car.

Just don’t expect a high-riding SUV scorcher from Alpine based on Lotus’ upcoming 560kW electric super-SUV.

The collaboration will also “leverage Alpine’s motorsport platform covering Formula One to Formula E, and Endurance is also under study,” said a joint statement released by the Anglo-French car brands, hinting at a Le Mans 24-hour tilt.

The partnership is technically only a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at this stage, which is not legally binding, but these agreements typically foreshadow a watertight contract.

“The signing of this MoU with Lotus shows the lean and smart approach we’re implementing as part of the new Alpine brand strategy,” stated the CEO of Alpine, Laurent Rossi.

“Both brands have an amazing legacy and we are most excited to start this work together, from engineering tailored solutions to developing a next-generation EV sports car.

Rossi stated that the alliance marks “the beginning of a new era” that will see expand the French car-maker’s brand value significantly.

“We’re putting F1 at the heart of our business, leveraging our in-house expertise and best-in-class partners such as Lotus to inject our cars with leading-edge performance, technology and motorisation”.

Is this a noble partnership or should the French and British just keep their distance and respect the past? Have your say in the comments section below.