Among the onslaught of hopeful EV automakers whose names you’ve never heard of, add this one to the list: Alpha Motors Corp. We say hopeful because, like so many up and coming EV makers, the company’s website bristles with vehicles it has yet to build beyond a prototype.
And so it goes with the Saga and SuperSaga, battery-electric performance sedans brimming with styling cues cribbed from here and there. That’s not to call it unattractive — far from it. And Alpha has done something truly unique among neophyte automakers. They’ve instilled the forward-facing battery-electric SuperSaga with a face reminiscent of past performance cars.
How cunningly clever.
Of course, for all five of you familiar with Alpha, the SuperSaga is basically a four-door version of the two-door Ace, and its off-road variant, the Jax. The company also hopes to build the Wolf pickup.
Two door begets four
While the SuperSaga and its brother the Saga look much like the two-door Ace, there are differences. The Saga sits on a longer wheelbase, and wears a slightly different face with four round headlights rather than the Ace’s pair of rectangular headlights that recall old sealed-beam headlights. The Saga also boasts aggressive wheel arches like the Jax, but unlike the Ace.
At 185 inches long, 75 inches wide and 57 inches tall, the Saga has a sleek, aerodynamic yet pugnacious nature that enhances its sporty allure. The overall appearance is modern yet retro and totally endearing. Similar to its two-door relative, the Saga and SuperSaga share a beltline that leaves very little sheetmetal over the wheel arches, giving it a stance of a classic British roadster. Its roofline recalls that of the Lincoln LS, while its fascia calls to mind the current Dodge Challenger, while its tail lamps could be from a Ferrari. And its rear bumper seems slapped on, not integrated, a novel touch.
Lightweight aluminum and carbon fiber are planned for the SuperSaga’s front and rear bumpers, side skirts, roof, and other components for weight reduction.
The inside story
Inside, you’ll find seating for five. The stark, crisp instrument panel is aggressively horizontal punctuated by a a digital center display with Bluetooth, haptic interior climate and audio controls, and a premium digital audio system. A digital speedometer dominates the instrument cluster.
And there’s 14 cubic feet of cargo space in the rear and another 6 cubic feet up front.
What motivates it
According to Alpha’s website, the company promises the Sagas will have more than 300 miles of range with either a rear-wheel-drive single motor model and an all-wheel-drive dual motor variant. Alpha is also promising a six-second 0-60 mph from its 4,200-pound Saga sedan. Look for the SuperSaga to improve on that at 4.6 seconds.
While short on specifics, the company does say the driveline will have a heater and a liquid cooler for the battery, which can be recharged in one hour to 80% capacity using a DC fast charger.
Look for prices to start at $40,000 for the Saga, $50,000 for the dual motor SuperSaga before tax credits and state incentives, although the company did not say when it expected production to start.
Not the company’s first product pitch
Alpha has previously pitched the Wolf electric pickup, which the company hopes to have in production by the end of 2023. With a claimed 275-mile range from its 75-kwh lithium-ion battery pack, the pair claims an 80% recharge in 30 minutes, and a 6.2-second 0-60 mph time. The Wolf is slated to come with such Driver-Assistance Systems as Cross-Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Indicator, Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning.
The pickup measures 190 inches long, 78 inches wide and 67 inches high. It has a 1009-inch wheelbase and 17-inch wheels. The two-passenger pickup has 43.4 cubic foot bed that’s 71 inches long, 62 inches wide and 17 inches tall.
Where did the company come from?
Yet finding out where the company truly stands is problematic. Alpha was founded by car designer Edward Lee, executive chairman of Alpha Motor Corp. Lee is said to be an American car designer with more than 18 years of automotive industry experience.
The privately-held company is headquartered in Irvine, California and is privately funded. The company states that it is planning to contract vehicle manufacturing. Where is still being assessed with companies in the United States and Europe. Alpha states that it is still developing a vehicle service network, which suggests it will not have a traditional dealer network. The company plans to warranty its battery pack for a minimum of eight years or up to 100,000 miles.
The prognosis? We’ll see
Given the vagueness of some of its pronouncements, it remains to be seen whether Alpha Motors will truly take off, or merely become the wishful thinking of another EV startup. It takes billions of dollars to bring a vehicle to market, and many more millions to promote it to a pubic about to be inundated by new EV startups. Given the true state of its finances remains unknown, its chances of success seem 50/50 at best.
But certainly, it’s not for a lack of style.
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November 30, 2021 at 05:22AM
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First Look: Alpha Motors SuperSaga - Paul Eisenstein
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