Real supercars won’t be all-electric until 2030: McLaren CEO

THERE will not be all-electric supercars for several years, because it will take time to develop the right technology to make batteries lighter, according to McLaren Automotive’s chief executive officer Michael Leiters.

“Weight is super important. You also need the right range,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Thursday (Oct 5). “I don’t expect this technology to be ready for real supercars before the end of the decade.” 

Speaking from McLaren’s new showroom in Dubai, Leiters said the automaker did not want a heavy car that was not nimble and which made the driver feel disconnected. “Weight is at the core of our brand,” he said. 

“We don’t want to do an electric car which weighs two tonnes and then has 2,000 horsepower,” he added. The weight would need to come down to the level of today’s models, in the 1,500-kg range. (Two tonnes is 2,000 kg.)

Still, car-makers around the world are rapidly shifting towards electric, zero-emission vehicles. Even the marquee sportscar brands are starting to follow suit.  

Leiters said that he was open to the idea of a sport utility vehicle, and that McLaren is focused on hybrids, as internal combustion engines become more niche.

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McLaren’s global sales in the first half of 2023 grew 52 per cent from the same period last year, to 1,292 units. Demand was strongest in North America, Europe and Asia. The Middle East accounts for about 2 per cent of the company’s worldwide sales volume, but the area has big potential and a huge customer base, Leiters noted. BLOOMBERG