Alpine kicks off its all-electric era with the A290 hot hatch EV that has video game style challenges
French automaker Alpine has launched its first EV model called the A290. This addition to Alpine’s small but sporty portfolio kicks off a lineup of BEVs to follow and comes equipped with some exciting features, including bidirectional charging capabilities, in-cockpit driving tutorials, and video game-like challenges you can complete.
Société des Automobiles Alpine SAS, more commonly referred to as Alpine is a French automaker founded in the mid-1950s that specializes in compact motorsport vehicles. It currently operates as a subsidiary of France’s Renault Group and has collaborating with the OEM since the 1970s.
Renault helped revive the Alpine brand’s passenger vehicle arm in the early 2010s, helping develop a new model called the A110, which has been on sale in Europe since 2017. Looking ahead, Renault said it was working with Lotus Technology to develop a new EV sports coupe for the Alpine brand, but by 2023, those plans had been nixed.
Alpine’s CEO has previously promised two new “Porsche-like” EV models it intends to bring to the US – a market seen as a crucial one to enter for success. By the fall of 2023, Renault was seeking fresh suitors to invest in a reinvention of Alpine for the EV age, and was in talks with Geely out of China.
Before then, however, Alpine will begin selling its first EV model, which has taken much of its design DNA from the A110—and it’s called the A290 – based on a show car of the same name presented to the public in 2023.
The Alpine A290 EV looks like a fun, sporty new ride
Per details shared by Alpine today, the new A290 EV is nearly ready to go and touts impressive technology for a veteran automaker new to the segment. The new hot hatch sits atop a skateboard platform that offers optimized weight distribution (less weight on the front axle) and a lower center of gravity.
Combined with the extra rigidity from the BEV’s battery, the A290 provides balance in a short wheelbase with widened stability and larger tires—perfect for nimble, sporty maneuvers. The BEV comes standard with a 52 kWh battery pack that offers an (estimated) WLTP range of 380 km (236 miles). The A290’s platform enables charge rates up to 100 kW, replenishing from 10-80% in 30 minutes on a DCFC and 150 km (92 miles) in about fifteen minutes.
The platform also offers more advanced technologies, such as a heat pump, bidirectional charging that enables vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities, and the opportunity for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) power transfers.
The new Alpine EV features a single motor that keeps its overall weight at an agile 1,479 kg (3,260 lbs). This propels the hot hatch from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 6.4 seconds with up to 220 bhp and 300 Nm of torque.
A red button on the steering wheel activates an “Overtake” (OV) function that delivers extra power for up to 10 seconds. That boost can be recharged in 30 seconds but used immediately for another five-second boost after 15 seconds.
One last cool feature in the A290 EV is the Alpine Telemetrics function, which gives drivers access to three main categories to improve their experience behind the wheel: Live Data, Coaching, and Challenges.
- Live Data
- Agility: lateral and longitudinal Gs, ABS/ESC activation, Overtake boost.
- Power: monitoring of acceleration and braking (regenerative or hydraulic), battery recharging and Overtake boost potential.
- Endurance: consumption, accumulated energy, and battery status.
- Circuit: lap times, car data (motor and battery temperature, tire pressure and temperature, brake temperature), video recording on a smartphone with driving data display.
- Coaching
- Development engineers and drivers of the A290 offer first hand advice in the cockpit.
- Delivers advice on how to best control the EV using Alpine Telemetrics functions to improve your driving skills.
- Introduces the basic reflexes you need to adopt when driving a sports car, such as eye tracking, trajectory control and braking techniques.
- Concepts like managing drift when lifting off, become more advanced as you learn.
- Challenges
- The Alpine EV offers a series of challenges based on agility, power and endurance.
- Takes a distinct “video game-style” approach, with amusing names challenge names like “to infinity and beyond”
- Some challenges require closed roads (acceleration, braking, accelerator pedal percentages over a given distance).
- Endurance challenges can be completed on open roads, helping to teach anticipation in driving.
- Pass challenges to progress to new levels.
The Alpine A290 will be built at the Manufacture in Douai in Franc’es ElectriCity. Its electric motor and battery will also be built in France beginning in the summer of 2025. Alpine says that as it enters the EV age, the A290 will be followed by a GT C-Crossover and a new electric version of the A110.
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Lucid’s electric minivan can outsprint the Chevy Corvette Z06, and it has more interior space than a Ford Explorer. Is the Lucid Gravity really the “ultimate uncompromising SUV?”
Lucid Gravity SUV is faster than a Corvette Z06
Lucid’s electric SUV is impressive inside and out. The Gravity provides up to 450 miles of driving range, ultra-fast charging (200 miles in under 11 mins), and it even offers up to 120 cubic feet of cargo space. That’s more than the Ford Explorer (87.8 cu ft).
It’s also faster than most sports cars. The Grand Touring trim has up to 845 hp, good for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 3.4 seconds, but the Dream Edition takes it to another level.
Powered by dual electric motors, the Lucid Gravity Dream Edition boasts 1,070 hp. To see how Lucid’s minivan stacks up against the competition, Car and Driver nabbed one for testing.
On the test track, the Lucid’s minivan covered a quarter-mile in just 10.6 secs, beating a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to 150 mph by nearly three seconds.
According to Car and Driver, the Gravity didn’t just impress in the quarter-mile, “it was a beast in every acceleration metric.” Lucid’s SUV hit 30 mph in 1.4 seconds, 70 mph in 3.7 secs, and topped 100 mph in just 5.9 seconds.
Dave Vanderwerp, the testing director who took the Gravity for a spin, said the electric SUV “gets a sort of second wave of thrust starting around 60 mph.”
With a quarter-mile of just 10.6 secs, Lucid’s Gravity is the fastest SUV they have ever tested, beating out the Rivian Tri-Motor Max (11.1 secs), BMW iX M60 (11.5 secs), and Mercedes-AMG EQE53 SUV.
Although the Rivian’s 850 hp R1S Tri-Motor beat the Gravity to 60 mph, Lucid’s SUV sprinted ahead in the quarter-mile, traveling nearly 20 mph faster.
It was also faster than gas-powered super SUVs, including the Lamborghini Urus Performante (11.2 secs) and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT (11.2 secs). However, they have yet to test a Tesla Model X Plaid, so that could change the game.
In what it called the “1,000 hp mom missiles” drag race, Hagerty recently pitted the Gravity Dream Edition against the Audi RS Q8 Performance, Range Rover Sport SV, Porsche Macan Turbo Electric, Rivian R1S Quad, and Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.
The result was a three-way tie between Lucid’s Gravity, the Porsche Panamera Turbo, and Rivian R1S Quad hitting the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds.
The Lucid Gravity is available to order starting at $94,900 in the US. Later this year, Lucid is launching the lower-priced Touring trim, priced from $79,900.
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Solar provided over 11% of total US electrical generation in May, while wind + solar produced over one-fifth, and the mix of all renewable energy sources generated nearly 30%, according to data just released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Solar continues to set new records
Solar continues to be the fastest-growing source of US electricity, according to EIA’s latest “Electric Power Monthly” report (with data through May 31, 2025), which the SUN DAY Campaign reviewed.
In May alone, electrical generation by utility-scale solar (>1-megawatt (MW)) increased by 33.3% year-over-year, while “estimated” small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV increased by 8.9%. Combined, they grew by 26.4% and provided over 11% of US electrical output during the month.
For the first time ever, the mix of utility-scale and small-scale solar produced more electricity than wind: solar – 38,965 gigawatt-hours (GWh); wind – 36,907-GWh.
Moreover, utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 39.8% while that from small-scale systems rose by 10.7% during the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar increased by 31.1% and was nearly 8.4% of total US electrical generation for January to May – up from 6.6% a year earlier.
Solar-generated electricity easily surpassed the output of US hydropower plants (6.1%). Solar now produces more electricity than hydropower, biomass, and geothermal combined.
Wind is also on the rise in 2025
Wind produced 12.2% of US electricity in the first five months of 2025. Its output was 3.9% greater than the year before, almost double that produced by hydropower.
During the first five months of 2025, electrical generation by wind + utility-scale and small-scale solar provided 20.5% of the US total, up from 18.7% during the first five months of 2024. Solar + wind accounted for nearly 21.5% of US electrical output in May alone.
During the first five months of this year, wind and solar provided 26.2% more electricity than coal, and 15.4% more than US nuclear power plants. In May alone, the disparity increased further when solar + wind outproduced coal and nuclear power by 55.7% and 22.1%, respectively.
All renewables produced almost 30% in May
The mix of all renewables – wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, geothermal – produced 9.7% more electricity in January to May than they did a year ago (7.6% more in May alone) and provided 28.1% of total US electricity production compared to 26.5% 12 months earlier.
Electrical generation by all renewables in May alone provided 29.7% of total US electrical generation. Renewables’ share of electrical generation is now second only to that of natural gas, whose electrical output actually dropped by 5.9% during the month.
“Solar and wind continue to grow, set new records, and outproduce both coal and nuclear power,” said Ken Bossong, the SUN DAY Campaign’s executive director. “Consequently, the ongoing Republican assault against renewables is not only misguided and illogical but also a good example of shooting oneself in the foot.”
Read more: FERC: Solar + wind made up 96% of new US power generating capacity in first third of 2025
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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Environment
Podcast: Tesla’s disturbing earnings, self-driving challenge, solid state batteries, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s disturbing earnings, a new self-driving challenge, solid-state batteries, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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