It looks like simply yesterday McLaren was dropping off my P1 to go along with my Porsche 918 Spyder and Ferrari LaFerrari, however the hybrid batteries in these vehicles are actually sufficiently old to warrant replacements — time flies while you’re having enjoyable, et cetera. One aftermarket agency, V Engineering, has developed a brand new battery for the McLaren P1 that additionally improves the automotive in two key areas: weight and electrical driving vary.
This aftermarket lithium-ion battery is 12.4 kWh relatively than the unique’s 4.72 kWh. The corporate hasn’t but given an official quantity as to what number of further electric-only miles its new battery will add, however for reference, McLaren’s authentic unit was good for six miles. Assuming a constructive linear relationship between kWh and miles, fast serviette math says the brand new cells ought to have the ability to ship 15.7 miles, greater than the 12 miles the Porsche 918 manages from its 6.8-kWh unit.
This new P1 battery additionally makes the 916-horsepower hypercar virtually 51 kilos lighter. For reference, the McLaren hypercar had a listed dry weight of three,075 kilos, which suggests the burden discount right here is simply 1.6%, barely much less in the event you measure from curb weight. No, 51 kilos minimize will not flip your customary P1 right into a track-ready GTR in a single day, however it’s additionally not nothing — as each Miata fanatic is aware of, each gram counts, and for what it is value, a 51-pound weight discount is completely one thing McLaren’s personal PR division would harp about if it was discovered with a brand new, in-house light-weight mannequin or one thing. The corporate simply touted a 26-pound financial savings on the brand new 788HS, as an illustration.
P1 engineers labored on it
Based mostly in Berkshire, England, V Engineering says regardless of the primary P1s being in-built late 2013, a number of the authentic battery cells are as previous as 2010 and due to this fact due to get replaced. P1s apparently grow to be undrivable if the battery cells are deteriorated; thus why V Engineering calls its new battery program Undertaking Continuum. The corporate touts itself because the U.Ok.’s high unbiased McLaren store, stated to have the ability to do all the pieces from routine companies to full engine rebuilds on any McLaren mannequin.
What’s extra, this new battery is claimed to be designed to “Formulation E necessities” and was developed in collaboration with engineers who truly labored on the P1 again within the day. It additionally makes use of a glycol-based cooling system for higher warmth administration. V Engineering says buyer installations will begin within the spring of 2027, and says it is already “in discussions” with house owners from the world over. Getting in contact with P1 house owners should not be too massive a activity since there are solely, at most, 375 of us on the market. DM me and I am going to add you to the Fb group.
