McLaren CEO Says No Plans for EV Model, a Year After Gaining Access to Nio's Tech

McLaren Group Holdings' chief executive Nick Collins has told Autocar that the British supercar maker has no current plans to launch a fully electric model, signalling that technology licensed from Chinese EV maker Nio is unlikely to underpin a production McLaren before the end of the decade. Collins said every model in McLaren’s product plan through 2030 will feature a combustion powertrain, though the company retains “flexibility” to adapt if market conditions change. The comments were published on the first anniversary of the merger between McLaren and Abu Dhabi-backed startup Forseven.

Direct quote

Collins was unequivocal in the interview: “we will only build an EV ‘when our customers want one,’” adding that “the market doesn’t want one yet.”

Context and details

The remarks are the clearest signal yet that the Nio EV platforms, software and intellectual property licensed to Forseven and folded into the new McLaren group will remain largely unused for the foreseeable future. In February 2025, Nio Technology (Anhui) Co. signed a technology licensing deal with Forseven Ltd., granting a global, non-exclusive licence to use Nio’s EV platforms, software and intellectual property, a filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange shows.

• CYVN Holdings, an Abu Dhabi government-backed investment vehicle, put more than $6 billion into a luxury automotive strategy across 2023–24: a $3.3 billion stake in Nio, the acquisition of McLaren Automotive from Bahrain’s Mumtalakat for approximately £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion), and about £1 billion ($1.34 billion) in Forseven, according to the Financial Times.
• In January, Abu Dhabi consolidated stakes into L’imad Holding, wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi government through the Department of Finance; Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan chairs L’imad’s board. An SEC filing shows L’imad holds a 17.9% stake in Nio, making it Nio’s largest shareholder.
• Despite the pivot away from immediate electrification, short-term technical collaboration continues: Chinese outlet Yiou reported in June 2025 that Nio would supply a small ~10 kWh battery pack for McLaren hybrid models built on Nio’s 4680 large cylindrical cells, with low-volume production expected in 2026. Nio founder and CEO William Li later confirmed at a March user event in Wuhan that Nio is “currently supplying” battery packs to McLaren.
• Operational crossovers have also occurred: several product-related Nio staff have reportedly moved to work on McLaren models, and design executives such as Alister Whelan transitioned from Nio to Forseven and then to McLaren’s leadership team.

Outlook

McLaren’s decision reflects a broader trend among ultra‑luxury and high‑performance marques delaying full electrification amid weak customer demand: Ferrari has pushed back its EV mix and scheduled its first electric model (the Luce four-door GT) for 2026 deliveries, Lamborghini cancelled an all-electric Lanzador in favour of a plug-in hybrid, and Aston Martin has similarly scaled back pure‑EV plans in favour of plug‑in hybrids. L’imad has committed more than $2 billion to fund McLaren’s expansion through 2030, and product plans include a V8‑powered four‑door hybrid SUV, code‑named P47, due by 2028. For now, Collins’s stance — building EVs only “when our customers want one” — points to a cautious, market‑driven timetable for McLaren’s electrification rather than immediate deployment of Nio’s EV platforms across the range.