The Alpenglow Is a Hydrogen Hybrid Supercar Concept from Alpine

It might sound like a wholesome breakfast cereal, but the Alpenglow is in fact a mean looking hydrogen hybrid supercar single-seater concept from Alpine Cars that was recently revealed at the 2022 Paris Motor Show. The choice of the word ‘alpenglow’ is likely derived from description of an attractive reddish glow along the horizon when the sun is low in the sky or below the horizon, which ties in with the red LED laser glow striping that is evident on this concept vehicle.

Alpine says that the Alpine Alpenglow is now the starting point for the company’s future designs and is therefore quite likely to form a basis of any future vehicle to succeed the A110, although the former appears to be a million miles away from the latter in appearance. The Alpenglow has been designed with both the racetrack and regular road-going in mind, combining the hallmarks of Alpine’s forthcoming performance cars and its established link to motorsports.

The LED striping certainly gives the Alpenglow a futuristic look amid the Le-Mans racer-style sharp and low competition lines (the car is only 1 metre high). Inside, the single seat is located centrally giving a natural surrounding feeling of spatial awareness for the driver. The Alpenglow is essentially created around the cockpit, with the two hydrogen fuel tanks either side of the driver.

Alpine says that the colour choices used with the Alpenglow concept relate to the elements; fire, earth, wind, and water – with water being broken down into water vapour, snow and ice. When you see the low light images of the Alpenglow, the concept of the elements does all somehow seem to make sense. Practically, Alpine says that this idea mirrors the hydrogen combustion process, with the Alpenglow only emitting water vapour. Keeping the theme of the elements going, the unique and unusual wheel design intentionally conjures up the look and feel of a snowflake.

It’s hard to get away from the fascinating LED laser centre line (especially as Alpine hasn’t revealed too much tech spec so far). This glowing line goes from red to blue, giving the effect of a blade (Alpine says) along the centre of the car for its entire length.

Yes, the Alpine Alpenglow concept is another striking vehicle that looks like a batmobile from the rear, but that’s partly down to the single seat cockpit and the emphasis placed on aerodynamics, combined with an all-encompassing low ride height – plus it’s a gentle doff of the cap to the Alpine A220 racer from 1968.

It will be interesting to see what the Alpine Alpenglow performance figures turn out to be like. Alpine is clearly on board with electricity being the future of automobiles going forward, it also wants to explore other environmentally friendly ways of propelling a vehicle, and a hybrid combustion engine powered by hydrogen is one such project for examination.

Images: alpine-cars.co.uk