Lotus and Alpine will no longer jointly develop electric sports cars for their respective lineups, the two automakers said this week in separate statements.
The two said the decision to part ways was mutual and reached amicably, and that both remain open to future collaborations.
Neither said they were abandoning plans for adding an electric sports car to their lineups.
The news was first reported on Monday by Automotive News (subscription required) and follows a report by Bloomberg last week suggesting Alpine wanted to develop its electric sports car on its own.
Lotus and Alpine first announced the plan to jointly develop electric sports cars in 2021, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding. Under the plan, Lotus was chiefly responsible for developing the platform which was to be used for a Lotus model code-named the Type 135, and for Alpine’s successor to the current A110. The Lotus is rumored to be a successor to the Elise.
Lotus previously said it planned to launch its sports car in 2026 while Alpine has hinted at a similar date for its car.
Lotus in 2021 revealed the platform, which it called the E-Sports. The platform was able to support batteries of up to 99.6 kwh in capacity and dual-motor powertrains generating up to 871 hp.
Last decade, Alpine formed a similar partnership with Caterham to jointly develop a mid-engine sports car platform. In that instance, Caterham pulled out of the deal but Alpine proceeded alone and completed the platform, which the automaker used for the current A110.
