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There’s a big push now to make electric vehicles cool to the masses, with macho trucks and ultra-fast high-end cars being rolled out or announced all the time. Few seem to think about the rest of us who just need to commute in something fun, but not extravagant. California-based EV startup Alpha unveiled a breath of fresh air this week with its Ace Coupe, a small city car with cool retro styling.
For too long, the regular-car end of the electrified car market has been dominated by small hatchbacks, often with very “look at me, I’m eco-friendly” designs. It’s about time we had some more choices—especially of the better-looking variety. The Alpha Ace Coupe looks more like a classic Alfa Romeo than a Nissan Leaf, right down to the little ace of spades badge on the front fender.
The Ace Coupe exists as a preview for Alpha’s modular vehicle platform, and for once in EV Startup World, they opted to make their tech-showcase a normal soon-to-be-production car instead of an unrealistic steering-wheel-less pod or a hypercar. Alpha’s main upcoming vehicle is its Icon EUV (which stands for “Electric Utility Vehicle”), a workhorse that will be available as a SUV, van or truck.
It isn’t just a tasteful tiny toy, either, as Alpha claims the Ace Coupe gets 250 miles of range and a six-second 0-60 mph time.
The Ace Coupe is a hatchback, but its rear profile disguises that fact well. It’s also the perfect size for annoying city driving, with a 165-inch length, 74-inch width and 57-inch height. It’s shorter than a Leaf, but slightly wider. There are tiny back seats inside if you need them in a pinch, but the focus was definitely on providing two comfortable front seats. Because the Ace rides on a skateboard-style EV platform, there is also additional storage space under the hood.
As with the Tesla Model 3, the car’s functions are controlled with one big center screen inside.
While the Ace Coupe revealed today wore a silver paint color that the company calls “Blue Seraph,” Alpha says that a wider range of colors will be available. Alpha also plans on offering variants of the Ace Coupe, which will be announced over the next few months. Pricing and other specifications were not announced today, but Alpha is taking reservations for the Ace Coupe through their website if you’re interested.
Here’s hoping that Ace pulls this off, as the Ace Coupe might reach more of an everyday car enthusiast audience with a legitimately small car if they do. We don’t get the cute lil’ Honda E, so this looks like the next best thing.
[H/T Greg Kable!]
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