McLaren has dominated the market of plug-in hybrid supercars since the release of the McLaren P1 in 2013. Hybrid technology quickly arrived from McLaren’s Formula 1 team and has been a major game-changer in the P1, Speedtail and now the McLaren Artura, which is more electric than ever with the largest battery placed in a McLaren.
Paul Walsh, McLaren Group executive chairman describes Artura as “the next generation of hybrid supercar. A distillation of everything we’ve ever learned”.
Electrification brings incredible benefits to supercars. Lightning-fast 0-60mph times and herculean levels of torque work in tandem when you are looking to push the vehicle. While the ability to make shorter journeys in all-electric E-mode makes the McLaren Artura versatile. World-beating specs combined with the prestige of McLaren — one of the finest hybrid supercar manufacturers —places the Artura at the bleeding edge of gas-electric excellence.
So whether you are giving it everything around the track or cruising the streets using only the hushed E-mode, the McLaren Artura is ready to impress on any stage.
Battery Powered Brilliance
The McLaren Artura is fitted with an energy-dense 7.4kWh lithium-ion battery. This extensive battery is seated low in a carbon fiber safety cell ensuring both optimum protection and weight distribution, keeping the Artura balanced and maximizing agility.
[See also: McLaren Artura: Performance Personified]
Designed with full plug-in hybrid capability, the Artura is able to charge its battery to 80% capacity in just 2.5 hours using a standard EVSE cable. However, the car is also capable of dynamic charging on the move in several different ways.
Picture taking the Artura out for a long drive between two cities. You leave the first city in E-mode, driving 19 miles in zero CO2 silence with the Artura still capable of reaching an impressive top speed of 81mph.
As you pull onto the highway you change power mode, bringing in the brand new gas engine and seeing what the Artura is really capable of. Before reaching the next city, you recharge the battery using the gas engine by selecting “Set charge to 100%”. With your battery fully recharged you can once again set the car to E-mode and enjoy the city with your efficient ultra-quiet electric motor.
[See also: McLaren Artura: Aerodynamics and the Pursuit of Lightness]
This ability to quickly shift how the electric motor and petrol engine work together, as well as how the battery dynamically recharges, allows you to totally adapt the Artura, all from the driver’s seat. This is a level of on-the-fly customization with regard to the performance and feel of a hybrid vehicle that is practically unheard of.
It’s all about that electric motor
The McLaren Artura is full of innovation, so it’s easy to overlook one of its greatest features: McLaren’s innovative E-motor working in conjunction with the lithium-ion battery.
Phil Mockford, Artura program director at McLaren says: “The compact, high power axial flux E-motor and energy-dense lithium-ion battery pack bring 94bhp and up to 166lb per ft to the total power and torque outputs of McLaren’s new High-Performance Hybrid.”
The majority of hybrid vehicles use an e-motor that utilizes radial flux technology. The Artura uses a fundamentally different axial flux motor. It’s the first time a motor like this has been used in a production vehicle. The benefit is that it is considerably more powerful than its counterpart, while also being smaller and lighter.
The Artura’s E-motor and the transmission interface weigh only 34lbs, less than half the weight of the radial flux E-motor in the McLaren P1. The smaller size of the E-motor also enables it to sit in line with the engine and transmission allowing power and torque to be transferred directly to the main transmission shaft, improving response time.
It’s innovation like this that makes the McLaren Artura truly stand on its own.
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