McLaren working on an electric P1 successor – report

UK-based supercar firm McLaren is reportedly working on an electric successor to its flagship P1.

UK-based supercar firm McLaren is reportedly working an electric successor to its current flagship model, the McLaren P1.

The development of an electric successor to the McLaren P1 comes as advancements in battery-electric drivetrains are becoming more feasible.

One of the challenges moving from petrol to electric power is managing weight, performance, and agility – given the hefty mass of battery packs.

McLaren executive, Michael Leiters, told British magazine Autocar, the main hurdle with an electric supercar is weight.

“The main reason … is weight,” he told the magazine. “We don’t want to make a car that is 2000kg and 2000hp (1491kW) – anybody can do that. That’s not in the DNA of McLaren.

“We want to make a car that is comparable to the (McLaren 750) weight-wise; we don’t need 2000hp. We’re working on concepts for that, we’re exploring that and we have really exciting ideas around that. But it has to outperform what we do on (a petrol supercar).”

The McLaren P1 successor is reportedly due by 2030, by which time McLaren expects 90 per cent of its model mix to be hybrid or electric.

The McLaren executive also welcomed the European Union’s latest ruling for e-fuels, suggesting this could be an option to keep petrol-powered models alive.

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