Latest news with #deMeo
Auto Express
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
New electric Alpine A110: next-gen sports car to showcase brand's track pedigree
Ready for the first two-seat, all-electric coupe with the 'soul' of French racing brand Alpine? It's coming up fast and promises to be something special to rival Porsche's upcoming electric Cayman and Boxster, a string of Alpine executives told Auto Express at the brand's 70th anniversary party in its hometown of Dieppe. Advertisement - Article continues below Alpine's boss Philippe Krief and Renault Group's irrepressible leader Luca de Meo talked in depth about Alpine's electric replacement for the A110 coupe, revealing a string of technical headlines. The electric coupe will ride on a dedicated sports car platform, has a target weight of 1,450kg (close to a Cayman GT4 RS's), should travel more than 350 miles on a charge, and packs two in-wheel motors that generate 'more than enough power – I can guarantee [it],' vows ex-Ferrari director of engineering Krief. The A110 will be the cornerstone of Renault Group's attempt to take Alpine's track pedigree – racing in Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship – and turn the brand into a thriving, seven-model premium car maker at the cutting edge of new technology. It's critical that the brand's low-slung, electric SUV – the A390, unveiled at the Dieppe event – is a success to start generating the cash the company will need to invest. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below De Meo's vision is to create France's answer to Porsche. '[The A110] is our iconic product, the Porsche 911 of Alpine,' he says. Coincidentally the first A110 coupe – powered by an in-line Renault four-cylinder engine – made its debut in 1963, the same year the 911 was born. While the A390 rides on a painstakingly overhauled version of Renault Group's AmpR-Medium architecture, the coupe will be the first model on the Alpine Performance Platform (APP), and is set to be unveiled at the Paris motor show in October 2026. Advertisement - Article continues below 'Irrationally, we decided to invest in a very modular sports car platform that will underpin the next-generation A110,' explains de Meo. 'The APP is the core of [Alpine]. The priority is to take that platform and develop three or four models, then we'll see what happens.' De Meo told Auto Express that APP is a dedicated sports car platform, made from extruded aluminium sections. It will be manufactured in the Dieppe factory, where workers are used to crafting the lightweight alloy. The material is critical for paring back weight. 'We think we can do an electric car that is lighter than a comparable combustion-engine car,' says de Meo. 'That will change everything. We've invested in the electronic engine architecture, putting the engines in the wheel, [which] lowers the car's centre of gravity.' Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The A110 will finesse the in-wheel motor technology powering the Frankenstein's monster version of the Renault 5, the Turbo 3E. Alpine's engineers have converted this outrageous, £135,000 superhatch to rear-wheel drive, with rotors attached to the wheels to spin them. That negates the need for reduction gears and half-shafts, saving weight, and gives huge opportunity to manage torque delivery to individual wheels. While the Turbo 3E will be a drift machine, the new A110 will be set up to carve through corners. Advertisement - Article continues below 'There will be two motors [on the rear],' says Philippe Krief. 'We'll also have an all-wheel-drive version with two [rear] and one different [front motor] – smaller, lighter.' And how much combined power will there be, in excess of 500 horsepower? 'A lot!' he says. 'And we are thinking of evolution also (to give a range of outputs and models). There will be enough power, I can guarantee!' The motors will be fed by 'very high energy density' batteries and an 800-volt electrical architecture, boosting charging capability and enabling thinner wiring and componentry to again reduce weight. 'In terms of motors, you optimise them. Integrate all the functions – motor, transmission, inverter, the DC/DC charger – everything in one box. Then in terms of vehicle integration, you fight for every millimeter you can reduce, every kilo on each single part. I'm not saying that it's easy!' vows Krief. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below 'The weight target of the new A110 is below the best combustion car, a Porsche [718 Cayman],' he confirms. '[It's] 1.45 [tonnes] to be precise.' Today's entry-level A110 is extremely petite, stretching to just 4,181mm long and weighing 1,102kg. That means a relatively modest 249bhp four-cylinder engine can fire the coupe from standstill to 62mph in 4.5 seconds. Krief admits the electric coupe will have a slightly bigger frame, but positioning the batteries will be key to keeping the coupe's height below 1.3 metres – comparable with the current car's roofline. 'We cannot put the battery in the floor because the car will be too high,' Krief tells Auto Express. 'So we will put the battery elsewhere and we've found some really nice battery installation. 'A big stack is [cost] efficient and if I put my battery in two packs, it will be less efficient. But you definitely could do more than one installation. This is something we can afford because we don't want to trade off on the project: the new A110 has to be a real A110.' Advertisement - Article continues below One stack could be placed behind the rear seats in the classic mid-engined position, with the in-wheel motor design freeing up some space. More cells could be located up front but behind the axle line. Weight distribution will dictate the positioning: the A390 five-seat 'fastback' has a 49:51 front:rear bias, although its single battery pack lies in the floor. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Krief reckons the electric A110 should be good for a range of 600km (373 miles) – customers won't accept the 'easy' trade-off of a small battery compromising usability. And he believes the switch to electric, with its precise tunability and instant response, will make for an agile-feeling sports car. 'If you give the car a sense of the benefit of [being] electric – quickness in steering and responding, quickness in braking, quickness in recovering from understeer, oversteer – then you have the [lightweight] feeling. In this, electric has a huge advantage, because in terms of response an electric machine is 10 times faster than [a mechanical one].' Alpine is also experimenting with a sound symposer on the A390, with lower, bassier frequencies in Sport than in regular Daily mode. The soundtrack is generated in real time, based on throttle position, motor speed and other variables, and this thinking is sure to influence the A110 driving experience. The electric A110 will be true to its forebears in being instantly recognisable, in the same way Porsche design nurtures the 911's look. 'For premium brands, you need a certain consistency, a family feeling,' says group CEO de Meo. 'There will always be some fixed points that are characteristic of Alpine so that you can recognise the products from 200 metres away.' Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The new A390 fastback displays the common threads of Alpine design, says group vice president Laurens van den Acker. 'You have a pointed front end, with Alpine written in the front and the double-headlight signature. You have the body side line that drops down and the very nice rear window.' Shaped like a helmet's vizor, it unites the A110 and A390. 'But we want to give every car its personality,' van den Acker tells us. 'The A110 will be replaced. If you want the pure DNA of the brand, it's always available in the A110: it's the roots on which we're growing a tree. The A110 will be very recognisable, but in terms of proportions and surfacing, it will evolve – for the better I'd say.' The APP sports car platform allows for bigger wheels to boost the stance. 'And it's versatile because you cannot make money with one sports car. Because it's extruded aluminum, it's relatively easy to change the wheel base or width. And that helps pull different vehicles off it,' says the design director. Alpine boss Krief predicts APP will underpin the two-seat coupe and a roadster version, plus 2+2-seater models. It's an ambitious plan, which should add a 1,000bhp hybrid supercar and potentially a bigger SUV on top, if Alpine eventually decides to attack the US market. But why will it work, given that French car makers have typically failed to crack the premium market? Luca de Meo believes the electric transition is a great leveller. 'More or less, we are on a par with the others. Everybody's learning, everybody's investing in battery technology and e-motors. It's not that we have a 100-year gap to close so maybe it's an opportunity for us. 'In the first generation, electric cars have been, in the main, appliances like washing machines – kind of ugly and unemotional. Maybe we can prove that electric car technology can actually be fun, that we can put in a soul. Alpine's original position was doing more with less, the use of materials, of lightness instead of a big thing with big batteries. That's the window I see again.' Tell us what you love (and hate) about your car. Take the Driver Power survey now and you could win a £1,000 John Lewis voucher Find a car with the experts It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA Mike Rutherford thinks Jaguar's 'Reimagine' strategy will result in the company exploring further opportunities in the USA Slow death of the manual car revealed in exclusive new data Slow death of the manual car revealed in exclusive new data There are now very few manual cars available to buy, a trend that's been exacerbated by the rise of EVs Car Deal of the Day: Nissan's X-Trail is a do-it-all seven-seat hybrid SUV for only £235 a month Car Deal of the Day: Nissan's X-Trail is a do-it-all seven-seat hybrid SUV for only £235 a month If the Qashqai is too small for you, then the larger X-Trail is a fine alternative. It's our Deal of the Day for 25 May
The Irish Sun
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Car giant boss behind two ‘struggling' brands denies talks over ‘massive merger' with rival firm
THE boss of a huge carmaker behind two struggling brands has denied talks of a reported mega-merger with a rival firm. Advertisement 5 The head of Stellantis has denied merger rumours Credit: Reuters 5 Renault enjoyed a boost in sales across its brands last year Credit: Alamy 5 Both firms are moving towards making electric cars, like this Renault 5 E-Tech Credit: Getty Stellantis is the company behind brands such as Fiat and Peugot. The news comes as some of the firm's badges, including But Mr Elkann has dismissed increasing rumours of the company merging with fellow European brand Renault. Instead, he said: "We are not discussing any merger." Advertisement Read more Motors Mr Elkann was sat in a panel adjacent to It is the second time in a few months that the company has denied rumours of a merger with Renault. In October last year, then CEO of Stellantis, He did so while visiting a Renault hub in eastern France. Advertisement Most read in Motors Renault boss de Meo declined to comment on what he described as "rumours" at the same event. Mr Tavares has since resigned as Stellantis CEO in December last year. He is yet to be replaced. The Sun's Motors Editor Rob Gill takes the new electric Renault 5 for a spin The merger has been denied amid starkly contrasting economic backgrounds for the Advertisement Renault Group enjoyed boosts in sales for all three of its Renault rose 1.8 percent to 1,577,351 vehicles, Stellantis, by contrast, has encountered increasingly stuttering financial success. The company itself is the product of a merger between Advertisement In February, the company announced that its results for 2024 saw a 70% drop in net profit performance, and a 17% reduction in revenues year-on--year. This was in part due to 'temporary gaps in product offerings." Earlier this year, Chrysler announced that progress making the company's new flagship electric model, the Airflow, was This followed located in the middle of the desert, in Arizona, in a desperate bid to cut costs, last year. Advertisement Fiat and Abarth were also forced to This followed a 14% sales drop for Fiat last year compared to 2024. Then in the wake of US President Donald Trump's tariffs, Stellantis considered selling iconic brands Maserati sold just 11,300 cars worldwide in 2024, and saw its new electric sports model MC20 Folgore get cancelled following low demand. Advertisement Consequently, Stellantis then hired management consulting firm Stellanis told : "McKinsey has been asked to provide its considerations regarding the recently announced U.S. tariffs for Alfa Romeo is currently working on next-generation versions of However, Maserati cancelling its plans for electric cars perhaps points towards a more precarious position for the brand. Advertisement 5 The former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares also denied merger rumours while visiting a Renault plant last year Credit: Alamy 5 Stellantis is the firm behind Fiat cars Credit: stellantis /Fiat
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Renault and Citroën owner warn of ‘painful decisions' if EU does not change rules for small cars
The Renault chief executive said there were too many rules designed for bigger and more expensive cars. Photograph: Ryhor Bruyeu/Alamy Citroën owner Stellantis and Renault have warned that they may be forced into 'painful decisions' over the future of their factories in Europe, as they urged the EU to adopt more favourable rules for small cars. The chief executives of the carmakers said there needs to be more focus on smaller, affordable cars in Europe as SUVs continue to gain popularity. In a joint interview in French newspaper Le Figaro, the Renault chief executive Luca de Meo and the Stellantis chair, John Elkann, called for separate regulation for smaller cars. Related: UK business activity falls for the first time since October 2023 as trade tensions hurt economy, and car sales slide – business live De Meo said: 'What we are asking for is a differentiated regulation for smaller cars. There are too many rules designed for bigger and more expensive cars, which means we can't make smaller cars in acceptable profitability conditions.' De Meo, the former head of the European car trade body ACEA, has in the past lamented the growing size of cars, asking why Europe cannot follow Japan's taste for the Kei class of 'light automobiles', which benefits from tax and parking discounts. However, premium carmakers, such as Germany's BMW, Mercedes and some brands within the Volkswagen group, are more focused on export, said de Meo. '[For them], Europe does count, but [their] priority is export. For the past 20 years, their logic has dictated market regulations. And the result is that European rules mean that our cars are ever more complex, ever heavier, ever more expensive, and most people simply can't afford them any more,' de Meo added. Elkann, whose Stellantis group includes Fiat and Jeep, told the newspaper that EU car sales were at disastrous levels arguing that having specific regulations for smaller cars was a 'strategic matter'. 'At this rate, if the trajectory does not change, we will have to make some painful decisions for our production base over the next three years,' he said. Their remarks come as new data on Tuesday showed sales of cars in the UK fell by more than 10% in April, including a 62% plunge for Tesla, as they were hit by weak consumer confidence and tax increases. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said 120,331 vehicles were registered, as sales of new Teslas slumped to 512 from 1,352 in the same month a year ago. Tesla has faced a backlash after its chief executive Elon Musk's tilt to the political right and customers may also have been waiting for its Model Y cars to arrive in showrooms next month. Ford has become the latest carmaker to withdraw its profit forecasts amid continuing turbulence caused by Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on auto imports. It said costs on imports from Mexico and Canada would add about $2.5bn (£1.9bn) to its overall costs this year.
Reuters
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Renault, Stellantis bosses urge more favorable EU rules for small cars
PARIS, May 5 (Reuters) - Stellantis ( opens new tab Chairman John Elkann and Renault ( opens new tab CEO Luca de Meo urged the European Union to adopt more favourable rules for small cars, warning that the declining profitability of small cars could force plant closures without changes. In a joint interview in French newspaper Le Figaro, Elkann and de Meo added that France, Italy and Spain should lead the effort as the demand for smaller, more affordable cars is the highest in these countries. They did not give details on the rules they wanted to see apply to small cars. "What we are asking for is a differentiated regulation for smaller cars. There are too many rules designed for bigger and more expensive cars, which means we can't make smaller cars in acceptable profitability conditions," de Meo said. He added that Renault and Stellantis, which have a combined market share of 30% in Europe, are primarily focused on producing affordable cars in Europe, for European consumers. But premium car makers, like Germany's BMW ( opens new tab, Mercedes ( opens new tab and some brands of the Volkswagen ( opens new tab group, are more focused on export, said de Meo. "(For them), Europe does count, but (their) priority is export. For the last 20 years, their logic has dictated market regulations. And the result is that European rules mean that our cars are ever more complex, ever heavier, ever more expensive, and most people simply can't afford them any more," Renault's CEO said. Elkann, stressing that EU car sales were at disastrous levels, said having specific regulations for smaller cars was a "strategic" matter. "At this rate, if the trajectory does not change, we will have to make some painful decisions for our production base over the next three years," he said. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Bloomberg
20-02-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Renault Sees Geely as More Natural Partner Than Nissan
Renault SA's partnership with Geely may be a more natural one than its longtime alliance with Nissan Motor Co., Chief Executive Officer Luca de Meo said. The Chinese automaking group that controls car brands including Volvo and Lotus is an excellent company that works very fast, de Meo said Thursday.
