Alpine targets electric WRC car
Alpine has revealed ambitions to return to the World Rally Championship, should the series be opened up to electric cars in the future, and to contest the Dakar Rally.
The French marque has a rich history in rallying – the A110 carried Alpine to the manufacturers’ title in the inaugural WRC of 1973. It has recently returned to the arena with a version of its new A110 model, which is eligible to compete in the R-GT class.
Renault CEO Luca de Meo confirmed the interest at last week’s Alpine F1 launch. Reports have indicated that the new Alpine A5 could provide a model upon which to base a WRC challenger. “I am interested in exploring,” said de Meo to French media. “It remains to be seen if we can find the right conditions to participate in the World Rally Championship, but I want to do it with an electric car, which is not possible nowadays. And I also want to do the Dakar.”
Currently the WRC doesn’t permit fully electric vehicles, although the championship has this year taken its first step towards electrification with the launch of Rally1, built around hybrid-powered vehicles.
The FIA is known to be urging the WRC to already consider its next set of regulations, which may come into play as early as 2025, to ensure that the championship stays relevant among automotive trends and can attract more manufacturers. New
FIA deputy president Robert Reid told Autosport that there are several options for the WRC to consider for its next ruleset, including a possible move to electric or hydrogen-powered cars.
Alpine parent marque Renault has already revealed plans to return to rallying through the new Rally3 class, confirming that it will develop a four-wheel-drive challenger to be launched early next year.