Alpine will use torque vectoring to make its electric cars feel lighter

Alpine is known for its lightweight sports cars, but as it transitions into an electric car brand, the French company has to get creative to make it feel lightweight.

Alpine will launch seven electric vehicles by 2030, including a production version of the A390_β concept car launched earlier this month. The stylish electric fastback crossover is significantly larger and heavier than the outgoing Alpine A110 sports car, but it benefits from a clever electric powertrain that, according to Alpine CEO Philippe Krief, The powertrain gives it a “perceived lightness” feel.

Read: Alpine A390_β previews 2025 electric hatchback, but it really doesn’t want to be an SUV

According to Autocar , the three-motor setup under the A390_β concept’s exterior will help the brand achieve a lightweight feel in the new model. This setup is thought to consist of two motors on the rear axle and a single motor on the front axle, although some sources suggest the opposite – one motor on the rear axle and two motors on the front axle. Regardless of the situation, complex torque vectoring promises to make the car feel very dynamic.

According to Krief, varying the power output of the three electric motors means “you can produce pretty instantaneous response times – just like how a light car would behave.” Krief added that the A390 “is not a light car, but it looks like it is “It’s so quick; it’s so natural, so integrated. When you have a professional driver test your car, and they do it with the system on because they want it that way, you know that’s fine. This is the ultimate test. “

As well as using trick technology to make its vehicles feel lighter, Alpine is also working to ensure its upcoming electric car is lighter than the Nissan and Renault equivalents it’s based on.

Alpine’s first new electric vehicle is the 2025 A290 GT. The car is based on the Renault 5 E-Tech and features an electric motor with 217 hp and 221 lb-ft (300 Nm) of torque, accelerating to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.4 seconds.