The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the pivotal vehicle in McLaren Automotive's transition to a 100 percent electrified portfolio, but the British exotic automaker's future product plans are now coming into clearer focus.
Last week, McLaren released details of its newest vehicle architecture, which, in a different direction for the brand, has been specifically developed to accommodate hybrid powertrains. It's still a central monocoque carbon-fiber tub, the key component that the automaker builds its supercars around. But McLaren's previous two hybrids, the P1 and the Speedtail, have not been on dedicated hybrid platforms.
The upcoming vehicle, code-named P16, will feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain and have an electric range of roughly 19 miles, with a charge time of three to four hours, McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt told Automotive News last week. The electric motor sits between the engine and the gearbox, Flewitt said, but he declined to say which internal combustion engine will be included in the layout.