This electric sports car could become an Alpine!

Previously known as SC-01, this electric coupe with the faux appearance of a Lancia Stratos has been renamed JMEV 01 and that changes everything!

The JMEV 01 was recently spotted during testing in China. Developed by Tianjin Gongjianpai Auto Technology, this car now benefits from the support of Xiaomi and… Renault! Of course, the French manufacturer is not directly involved in the development of this small electric sports car, but through its 50% participation in the JMEV joint venture with Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC). Nothing prevents us from imagining the somewhat wild hypothesis of a badge swap, because when Renault is mentioned, Alpine inevitably comes to mind.

The JMEV 01 retains the dynamic design of the SC-01, with its angular headlights, circular taillights, and two-door Roadster body. With dimensions of 4106 mm in length, 1830 mm in width, and 1170 mm in height, it weighs approximately 1365 kg, just 25 kg more than a Porsche Cayman. Powered by Empower’s synchronous permanent magnet motors, it delivers 320 kW (429 hp) and reaches a top speed of 200 km/h. According to well-informed Chinese media, it completed a 1:06 lap time at the Goldenport Park circuit in Beijing, comparable to that of the Porsche 992 Carrera S.

A Cheaper Heiress for the Alpine A110?

The vehicle features an NMC battery. Although its exact capacity remains unknown, rumors suggest around 60 kWh for a range of 520 km in the Chinese cycle, roughly 400 km in the WLTP cycle. Very openly inspired by the legendary Stratos, the JMEV 01 features a mid-engine configuration for better weight distribution. An architecture typically used for thermal engines, proven on models such as the Renault Spider or the Alpine A110. A novelty in an electric car, where the aim is often to place mechanical components as low as possible. But after all, why shouldn’t the electric industry draw inspiration from decades of thermal engine experience?

Initially presented in September 2022 under the name SC-01, the model underwent only slight modifications before becoming the JMEV 01 to pass homologation. It remains to be seen whether an A-flavored variant of this small Chinese gem is on the minds of Renault Group executives. That would be totally crazy, of course, but not necessarily stupid knowing that the model is priced very competitively at 300,000 yuan, about 40,000 euros. After all, the A290 could not have arrived at the Alpine catalog as quickly as it did thanks to its direct lineage from the Renault 5.