McLaren will not launch an electric car before 2022 because the company believes they are not yet exciting enough to drive.
An electric McLaren had been tipped to be launched as one of 15 new McLarens in the firm's Track 22 plan of new launches to 2022, but that will not be the case, McLaren boss Mike Flewitt has confirmed to Autocar.
"With EVs, developing is the right word, and we have an electric mule running around," said Flewitt. "It's more for the attributes than the powertrain itself. How exciting can an EV be? Next to the Senna, it isn't.
"We couldn't deliver an EV today that would meet the excitement of the McLaren brand. We're working on it. As the technology is developed, the performance capacity will come. It's a good five years away. It's a challenge to us to produce the same engagement as with the P1, Senna and 675LT.
"It's some way off, and it's not in the plan because we don't have the answer at the moment."
Flewitt revealed that currently, for an EV to have the same performance as the P1, it would have to weigh two tonnes.
He was more positive on hybrid development, though, and repeated his claim that 50% of McLarens would be hybrids by 2022 and, "to play it safe", that all would be in 10 years' time. "It's on track," he said.
Hybrids are much easier to integrate into the design of a car's powertrain, said Flewitt, allowing them to become an integral part of the engine and powertrain rather than bolt-on devices, as they were previously.
"The downsides are weight and cost, but the upsides are reduced emissions and the ability to access zero-emission zones in cities," said Flewitt.
"It's a better driving experience with a hybrid. We can do it with a hybrid but not with an EV."
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How fast.....?
How fast do we want to travel?, how fast can we handle physically?, how will our Road systems cope with these Cars?, we are obsessed with how fast we can go, if a nought to sixty time of less than two seconds isn’t fast enough for you, the next step is a time machine!, come on Mclaren, be the first!!
Electric-heads are one
If all that a car is to you is acceleration, get a ruddy bike.
Moving the hairs on the back of your neck - that is what pointless, ridiculous, outrageous fast cars are about.
eseaton wrote:
Entirely correct. Electric cars will never take over the mass of the car market, because despite the devotion of a few fanatics, the majority of people simply do not want them. Electric cars are nothing more than a ploy by the lefties, aimed to assist in enforcing autonomous cars in order to gain control over and bring to an end the free movement of the people. It won't work. Electric cars are going nowhere.
Wow, you're just so wrong.
Wow, you're just so wrong. In the states, EV sales have gone up by 33% in just a single month! In the UK, EV sales have gone up by 50% in 20 months. Whether you like them or not is up to you, but you're so wrong if you think they won't "take over the mass of the car market". EVs are the future, and you must surely have heard the words of car manufacturers in this magazine over the past few months. The Jaguar iPace is going to be a huge seller, and it's just the beginning. For a start, even you must surely be aware that ALL cars have to be electric in 22 year's time. But car manufacturers have plans to switch to electric-only way before then. Volvo will be all electric or hybrid by next year. Germany and India will be all-electric in just 12 years! (that's law). So, again, you can have an opinion, that's fine, but you're just plain wrong in what you say. And by the way, I'm to the political right, not left.
Bazzer wrote:
Firstly, percentage increases are meaningless when such small proportions of the overall market are involved. If Maybach sell two cars this month then four next month it doesn't indicate that everyone will be driving a Maybach in five years time. Electric cars are and will remain very much a minority taste. Secondly, all new cars do not have to be electric by 2040. They have to be neither solely petrol nor solely diesel, which is entirely different. If you can't get that simple fact straight don't tell me I'm wrong about anything, because your view is worth jack shit.
The only
thing McLaren and all the other manufacturers needs to think about is the weight of the vehicle. That's only way of getting both speed and excitement into vehicle.
Cheers!