McLaren CEO Tips on Plug-in Hybrid SUV

McLaren Automotive has been exploring SUVs since at least 2022, when Michael Leiters joined as CEO.And now he's spilling some details about what route a potential McLaren SUV can take.

In an interview with Road & Track announced on Wednesday, Leiters said the company was able to expand its portfolio with "shared performance vehicles," meaning SUVs, because they are large enough to share performance with other passengers. He also noted that development could involve technology partners who can supply the right platform.

He also hinted that the vehicle could end up as a plug-in hybrid instead of an electric car. Rumors of an electric SUV first surfaced after McLaren entered the Extreme E electric off-road racing series in 2022.

"I want to understand if I can use my own powertrain if I do (plug-in hybrid)," he told Road & Track. "Integrating our powertrain into our existing platform would be an ideal world."

With Leiters, McLaren is ready to launch an SUV. Prior to joining McLaren, he served as Ferrari's Chief Technology Officer and helped develop the Prosangu. He also previously worked for Porsche, he helped develop multiple generations of Cayenne.

Leiters revealed in an interview that McLaren is developing an electric supercar.Purely as a precaution when the market requires. The biggest problem, he said, has to do with the heavy weight of the battery, although he also said he is confident the company can gain the weight of the electric supercar around the 3,300-pound goal of weighing the current Artura plug-in hybrid supercar.

However, he has previously been told that the technology to deliver a lightweight electric supercar that can deliver a decent stint on the racetrack will not be ready until 2030. Even Mate Rimac, the boss of Ev technology company Rimac, said last month that there was not much demand for electric supercars, so it could not be a problem for McLaren

In the meantime, McLaren will focus on expanding the core range of gas and plug-in hybrid supercars. McLaren is also developing a next-generation V-8 designed for hybrid applications, one of which is rumored to be the successor to the p1.