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Why McLaren’s surprise electric path can benefit everyone involved

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Jun 13, 2021, 8:44 AM

McLaren's announcement that it will enter the Extreme E series for electric SUVs next year came as something of a surprise. But it brings benefits that other championships it could seek to enter cannot, while providing a timely boost to a start-up that has had to cancel two of its South American rounds

McLaren’s resistance to building a road-going SUV has been as committed as Edna Mode’s dismissal of designing a superhero suit with a cape. It’s been a steadfast “no” for some time.

Chief executive officer Mike Flewitt, executive programme director Darren Goddard and Automotive North America president Tony Joseph have all vehemently kiboshed the idea.

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Matt Kew

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Matt Kew is Autosport’s Formula E reporter, relying on his experience covering the British Touring Car Championship to analyse the sometimes-rough-and-tumble electric series.

Matt joined Autosport in 2018, working predominantly on the magazine, but his relentless quoting of Alan Partridge meant office colleagues soon thought he would be better suited to increased field work.

Needless to say, Matt had the last laugh when he won the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2019.

His interest in motorsport was sparked by regular trips to watch ASCAR crash around Rockingham’s banked oval. He maintains that from this, he always knew Ben Collins was the Stig.

Matt went on to read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield - receiving first-class honours for his dissertation assessing the lack of female participation in top-tier motor racing.

He then covered a wide variety of national race and rally meetings for Autosport as a freelancer before joining full-time. His best efforts to argue the merits of historic racing and touring cars are undone by a questionable taste in music and James Bond actors.