Alpine to innovate and experiment whiteness to mold parts of its Alpine A110 E-ternité prototype, which was previously made of carbon. Underwear is a natural and light materialcaused by a short circuit at the production base in Normandy near Dieppe, the cradle of the French brand.

“The transition from the classic thermal A110 to the 100% electric A110 E-ternité was a real technological challenge. Achieving environmental responsibility with flax on a vehicle is a real possibility. Increased lightness and reduced the number of parts. This is an innovation that is both technological and ecological”said Florent, Head of Exterior Accessories Design at Alpine.

Flax: an innovative and light material

L’Alpine A110 E-ternity is a 100% electric prototype that serves as rolling laboratory teams of the French manufacturer: with a weight of 1378 kg, including 392 kg of batteries, it was necessary to find a solution for reduce weight and maintain sports results worthy of a coat of arms with an arrow A.

Alpine therefore considered a a more environmentally responsible alternative to equip the hood, roof, rear glass, seat housings or even the rear suspension: optional whiteness proved herself as a natural materiala bio-source that uses less energy to produce than carbon fiber, which is traditionally used to lighten sports cars.

Flax also has low density, lightness, durability and acoustic properties that bring a real advantage. In addition, Alpine called Land of Linhand local cooperative responsible for about 15% of the world’s linen production: it is located near Dieppe, the birthplace of the Alpine brand.

Alpine: the alternative to carbon fiber

Flax is sown from March to April, then harvested in early summer before being processed: then there are various steps, such as processing into 250-kilogram bales, plucking to extract the long fibers, crushing of flax shavings, combing, stretching and weaving.

The linen ducks are then ready to be sent to Alpine: it is at the brand’s premises in Les Ulis, in the Paris region, that the transformation takes place. The weft is 95% linen and 5% cotton, then epoxy is applied through an infusion process to achieve the final composition is 80% flax and 20% resin. The assembly is placed in a mold to give it its final shape, the parts are trimmed by hand, and then assembled at the Alpine Center.

The aluminum Alpine A110 hood weighs 6.9 kg, while the carbon fiber hood of the A110 R weighs 3.98 kg. nowadays, the linen part of the body weighs 20% more than its carbon counterpart. Therefore, Alpine teams continue to research this natural alternative material. However, it is still too early to consider linen parts on a production Alpine, even if the first results are encouraging.

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