McLaren is working on an all-new architecture that can accommodate electrification from the get-go, and could reveal more about it at March’s Geneva Motor Show.
While recently speaking with The Detroit Free Press, McLaren chief executive Mike Flewitt echoed statements from earlier this month that the brand is working on a new lightweight V6 hybrid powertrain and architecture.
This new architecture, tipped to underpin all future McLaren models as it transitions its entire range to hybrids, will come complete with a new electronics system capable of managing features from the hybrid powertrain to various other advanced safety systems, including predictive braking tuned to improve safety and performance.
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The first new model using this architecture will be a flagship all-wheel drive supercar that’ll hit the road before the end of 2020. It should have an EV range of between 25-30 miles (40-48 km) and be capable of hitting 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 2.3 seconds, making it the most accelerative road car ever produced by McLaren.
In the past, McLaren has suggested that it was considering an all-electric model and while such a car could still be on the agenda, it will not arrive anytime soon. According to Flewitt, batteries remain too heavy to be used by the types of lightweight performance cars that McLaren intends to keep on building.
