“There will be no BEV supercar before McLaren does it” but much more research and development is needed before such a model is technically and commercially viable, the firm’s CEO, Michael Leiters, has said.
Speaking to Autocar on the sidelines of this year’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Summit, Leiters called for substantial investment into – and support for – the UK automotive supply chain, particularly with a view to sustaining low-volume manufacturers and facilitating their adoption of new powertrain technologies.
In a speech at the event, Leiters called for “a clear industrial strategy, led by investment in the domestic supply chain”, which he said “will deliver growth, support jobs, help decarbonise the economy and secure a vibrant future for the UK performance car industry” as it electrifies.
He later told Autocar he is “really concerned” about the structure of the supply chain for those UK-based low-volume manufacturers, citing the obstacles presented by trade restrictions and government initiatives as inhibitive to technical progress.
“We are in a sourcing programme for a battery for a new plug-in car,” he revealed as an example, “and it’s very difficult to find a supplier who can fulfil the ‘rules of origin’ to avoid tariffs.
“The supply chain is not ready and we need much more investment in the supply chain to catch up with others.”
However, the ex-Porsche and Ferrari engineering boss said that while the industry is confronting various headwinds, there is a “golden opportunity to focus on high-performance cars, because we have proven in the past that investing in high-performance technologies will later on enable you to scale them for higher volumes.
“We are working with huge suppliers – recognised as innovators – and they come to us for 3000 units. And they tell us: ‘We are working together with you because you are asking us for stuff the others will ask us for in three to five years.'”
He hailed the UK as “the home of high performance”, highlighting that most Formula 1 teams – as well as various global sports car manufacturers – have their headquarters in the country.
“I think there’s a big, big opportunity for us,” he said.
He added that supporting the supply chain is not solely about government investment, but in fostering programmes that help the industry “understand the technology”.
“We have to understand the cell – the cell technology, the mix of materials, how to manufacture cells…” he said. “It’s a lot of work. It’s science.
“We have to start with R&D, then come to engineering and then come to industrialisation. It’s a long way to go, and it’s not like we are at the same starting point: China has a geopolitical agenda to do that, and we are only catching up.”