McLaren Plans New Hybrid Powertrain, Already Working On EV Prototype

The “Track 22” master plan includes McLaren introducing no less than 15 new models by 2022, but also its gateway to a sustainable, efficient and, yes, electrified future.

In a recent press conference, company boss Mike Flewitt confirmed that the “LT” sub-brand will spread to the Sports Series, bu added that McLaren will concentrate on its next hybrid powertrain that will underpin the future Super Series models.

Flewitt told Top Gear the upcoming Super Series replacement will continue with the existing V8: “Our M838T has many years of development left, but by 2022 we will have a new powertrain architecture.”

The new platform will benefit from hybrid technology, and a downsized engine that won’t be a four-cylinder. That only leaves a V6, based on the same architecture used in the existing V8 family.

“Emissions are almost a secondary attribute. For us it must add to the attributes as a sports car. And by 2022, more than 50 percent of our cars will be hybrid. The new architecture integrates hybrid in an efficient way. It’s not just a bolt-on. The transmission is an important part of that”, said Flewitt.

So what happens after 2022? Well, the CEO himself believes that EVs will inherit the future: “Beyond that, and I wouldn’t give you a date, we will all be driving EVs.” Unsurprisingly, Woking wants to be a part of that future, although Flewitt confirmed an all-electric model isn’t included in Track 22’s 15 cars. Nevertheless, he would like to see one, in limited numbers.

“An electric car isn’t included in the 15 cars in our plan [to 2022]. But I would love to do a limited run. And that means you would want it to be truly exceptional so it would be in the Ultimate Series. When we present an electric car it will be the most exciting sports car we have ever made.”

McLaren is already building a test mule for a full-electric car, but it will remain strictly experimental. The prototype isn’t intended to lay the foundations of a production vehicles, with Flewitt concluding that it will take more than seven years before a standalone EV will be launched.