McLaren Automotive's CEO, Michael Leiters, has highlighted a pressing opportunity for the UK to establish itself as a pioneer in the electric supercar market through strategic investments in the domestic supply chain. In a recent statement, Leiters emphasised the necessity for the upcoming UK Government to formulate and implement a comprehensive strategy aimed at enhancing the nation's capabilities in future powertrain technologies.
This is in stark contrast to when we spoke with McLaren back in 2019 and they were distinctly unsure about whether they would have a role in the road-going EV market at all. For WhichEV, this change of momentum is welcome news indeed. Outside of battery tech, McLaren has certainly been working on other EV-related technologies – and new EV-assisted vehicles are being delivered.
According to Leiters, the current UK supply chain lacks the specific resources needed to meet the high-performance demands of electric supercars. He advocated for the government's role in de-risking the industry's shift towards electrification, which faces significant financial hurdles, particularly for suppliers specialising in low-volume production.
“The technology required for electric supercars is still not on par with current hybrid and combustion engine vehicles, making investments risky for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers,” Leiters explained. This caution comes amidst low customer demand for electric supercars due to the immature state of the required technologies.
Leiters proposed the establishment of a high-performance, globally recognised centre of excellence in the UK to leverage the renowned skills and creativity within the British motorsport and performance car industries. He stressed the importance of a robust domestic supply chain to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of the evolving automotive sector.
The UK was historically the world's largest vehicle exporter and continues to host several of the globe's leading performance car brands and most Formula 1 racing teams. McLaren, with over 90% of its supercars destined for export, significantly contributes to the UK economy, demonstrating substantial productivity per employee compared to the wider UK automotive manufacturing sector.
Government support, according to Leiters, is crucial not just for McLaren but for the entire UK automotive industry to transition effectively to electric vehicles (EVs). He noted that the move towards electrification is essential, with hybrid vehicles likely to dominate supercar sales in the coming years. However, he highlighted the challenges of adhering to EU ‘rules of origin' requirements, which mandate a significant proportion of a vehicle's components to be sourced locally.
“Our hybrid McLaren Artura powertrain has 64% UK content. If converted to a pure EV, the UK content would fall to 13% due to the lack of available components in the UK,” Leiters added, underscoring the urgency for local manufacturing of high-performance battery technology.
Furthermore, Leiters envisioned the wider implications of establishing a strong UK battery production capability. He suggested that it would not only benefit the automotive sector but could also cater to the needs of other advanced manufacturing industries like vertical take-off aircraft and drones.
What is clear here, is that the kind of battery technology that McLaren (and other, similar companies) need, is not likely to be found in the 3-4 battery production centres that are being set up for Tata and others. When we spoke with the track management team at Silverstone, back in 2021, there was distinct scepticism that EV batteries would ever be able to deal with the serious drain demanded by the most powerful electric motors. “Lucky if a sports EV could do 20 laps around here, flat out”, we were told.
McLaren Automotive, launched in 2010 and now a significant entity within the McLaren Group, continues to push the boundaries of supercar performance from its base at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey. The company remains committed to its roots in high-performance, racing-derived technology, aiming to lead the industry towards a more sustainable, electrified future.
We look forward to seeing their next-gen efforts and we encourage the UK Government to support this industry.