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McLaren May Supply Carbon Fiber Parts to Other Carmakers
McLaren Technology Group hopes to eventually expand output at the carbon fiber plant its constructing in Sheffield, England, to produce components for other carmakers.
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McLaren Technology Group hopes to eventually expand output at the carbon fiber plant it's constructing in Sheffield, England, to produce components for other carmakers.
The new plant will have the capacity to produce as many as 10,000 carbon fiber monocoque chassis per year. That’s about twice the number of units McLaren needs for its own supercars, says CEO Mike Flewitt. He tells Car and Driver the company is evaluating ways to put the extra capability to use, including supplying rival carmakers.
McLaren doubled its vehicle sales to 3,300 units last year and is targeting annual sales of 5,000 units by the end of the decade. The company, which currently sources carbon fiber chassis from a supplier in Austria, estimates that moving production to the Sheffield plant will save about £10 million ($13 million) per year.
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