Alpine's sole product at present is the A110, a mid-engine sports car with global sales that total just a few thousand units annually.
However, Alpine also competes in Formula 1, and this is creating exposure for the French performance marque in the U.S. and China, where the sport's popularity is growing strongly.
This exposure eventually could lead to the brand entering those markets, Luca de Meo, CEO of Alpine's Renault parent, said during a media event on Tuesday, Forbes has reported.
2022 Alpine A5222 Formula One race car
Although Renault has previously attempted to crack the U.S. and Chinese markets, de Meo said introducing Alpine to cater to wealthy buyers in those markets is a better option.
"The fact is that Renault is a volume brand, but Alpine is a different game," he said.
Alpine is working on a trio of electric vehicles for launch around the middle of the decade; styling was previewed during October's 2022 Paris auto show with the Alpenglow hypercar concept. The vehicles will include a compact crossover, hot hatch, and next-generation A110.
3 Alpine electric cars teased during presentation on June 30, 2021
But de Meo revealed that Alpine is also developing two more larger vehicles better suited to U.S. and Chinese tastes. They will be SUVs similar in size to BMW's X3 and X5, with the smaller model due in 2027 and the larger one in 2028.
The basis of the vehicles could be a platform from the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance, or from another automaker, de Meo said. One possibility is a platform from one of Geely's brands. Renault and Geely are already working together on joint vehicles for Asia, as well as hybrid powertrains.
To fund the expansion, Alpine is considering launching an initial public offering, Forbes reported, though such a move will only happen after Alpine is made a standalone company with its finances fully separated from Renault, which is expected to be in 2024.
