McLaren has no plans to join the stampede of supercar makers rushing headlong into electrification. Speaking ahead of the Munich Motor Show, CEO Nick Collins made it clear the British marque is staying firmly in the combustion camp for the foreseeable future.
“Unmistakably, internal combustion is going to play the majority role of this brand for a really long period of time,” Collins told The Drive.
It’s a pragmatic stance in a market where regulations and consumer appetite for EVs vary wildly between China, Europe, the UK and the US.
The position is even more striking given Collins’ own history: he previously ran EV start-up Forseven, which was folded into McLaren earlier this year after both companies fell under the ownership of Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings.
That merger sparked speculation of an all-electric McLaren, building on earlier chatter after CYVN, which also has stakes in Chinese EV maker Nio, acquired the brand from Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund. But for now, the EV supercar dream is on ice.
A Market Reality Check
McLaren isn’t alone in slowing down. With US regulators rolling back strict emissions rules, the urgency to go electric has softened. For supercar brands, the risk of investing billions into fully electric models that customers may not want is too great. Instead, hybrids and incremental electrification think lightweight batteries, torque-filling motors and aero-led efficiency gains are seen as safer ways to deliver performance without losing petrol-fuelled theatre.
It’s a relief for purists. The idea of a silent McLaren lining up at Goodwood or blasting down a European alpine road never felt right. Enthusiasts still talk about the P1, McLaren’s hybrid hypercar from 2013, as proof the company knows how to balance performance and technology without sacrificing soul.
Survival Mode With A Plan
There’s also a financial dimension. McLaren has changed hands repeatedly in the past few years and remains a brand in need of stability. EVs might grab headlines, but developing a flagship battery supercar in today’s uncertain market could sink even the best-engineered business plan.
Collins’ approach is to keep McLaren relevant with measured electrification while letting Ferrari and Lamborghini burn cash on all-electric halo cars.
For fans, that means V8s and V6s still have plenty of life left at Woking. In an age of mass-produced electric SUVs, the howl of a McLaren engine could be the brand’s greatest asset.
