McLaren patents triple-motor EV supercar powertrain

Latest McLaren patent filings trace at a triple-motor powertrain for future supercars.

One patent software, revealed in January 2023 and first noticed by The Drive, describes a rear-axle drive unit consisting of a differential with three electrical motors. A major motor is positioned on the differential’s enter, and two extra are on the outputs, the place the axle shafts exit and join the diff to the rear wheels. The housing for this mass of motors and gears can be fabricated from aluminum or magnesium to save lots of weight based on the appliance.

Within the software, McLaren claims the three-motor system would enable for finer management of energy supply and regenerative braking by manipulating particular person motors. It might additionally work with hydrogen gasoline cells or supercapacitors in addition to batteries, based on the appliance. The identical drive unit could possibly be used on the entrance axle for all-wheel drive, and even in three-wheeled autos, McLaren claims.

This is not the primary patent software McLaren has filed for this idea, although. One other software, revealed in November of 2022, particulars a extra complicated system that retains an internal-combustion engine. It encompasses one electrical motor powering every entrance wheel, with a 3rd electrical motor driving the rear wheels together with the combustion engine.

This looks as if a option to construct on the present McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid, which makes use of a single electrical motor to assist a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V-6 drive its rear wheels, and can be able to 19 miles of electrical vary. Including entrance motors would allow all-wheel drive, and the patent software discusses disengaging the rear motor and combustion engine, that means they’d deal with all-electric operation as properly.

McLaren Utilized Applied sciences, a separate division from the McLaren Automotive unit that develops highway automobiles, additionally just lately introduced a partnership with in-wheel motor agency Elaphe to include the latter’s tech into powertrains for “extremely environment friendly and hyper-responsive electrical autos.”  So whereas all of those ideas may not make it to manufacturing, McLaren is clearly inquisitive about experimenting with better levels of electrification.