Electric cars used to seen as slow and boring, but cars like the Tesla Model S have shattered our misconceptions – and McLaren looks set to do the same. McLaren already uses a combination of petrol and electric energy to power its ridiculously fast P1 supercar but new reports suggest it’s about to build a purely electric version.
According to Auto Express, the new car won’t be a bespoke EV, and instead will use the existing McLaren P1 as a base. In fact, the new EV could be spun as a cheaper alternative to the McLaren flagship – but that just means it’ll cost less than £1 million. Not exactly the budget choice.
As you’d expect, the new EV will have lightning quick performance and could be the first electric car to boast a 200mph+ top speed. Auto Express suggests the new car will be even faster than McLaren’s 675LT: “No one buys a McLaren because they need one. We know that,” an insider told Auto Express. “So we need to make an EV that’s as exciting as a 675LT. An electric McLaren would need to manage 30 minutes on track with a 30-minute break before heading back out again.”
If a supercar manufacturer did this ten years ago, they’d be have been laughed out of town but in 2016 it’s just part of a growing trend towards electrification. At this year’s Geneva motor show, McLaren announced that at least 50% its cars would feature hybrid or electric power by 2022. Dubbed Track22, the proposal includes around £1 billion of investment and will spawn the launch of 15 new models before that time.
READ NEXT: The 2017 Nissan GT-R is ridiculous
Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.
