In an industry where ownership changes faster than tire compounds at Monaco, McLaren has had its fair share of musical chairs. The McLaren Group, passed around like an unloved pet in recent years, found itself 100% owned by Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund as of early last year. Then, in October, the fund handed off its stake to Abu Dhabi-based investment group CYVN Holdings. Now under new ownership, McLaren Automotive is merging with a company we bet you’ve never heard of.

That company is a British start-up called Forseven, which already has significant financial backing from CYVN Holdings. It has already hired more than 700 automotive industry experts and was planning to release several luxury models into the market. Now that it’s tied up with McLaren, these planned models will hit the market using the McLaren badge.

More: McLaren’s First SUV Could Be A PHEV Riding On A Shared Platform

The newly formed McLaren Group Holdings will consist of McLaren Automotive, Forseven, CYVN’s non-controlling stake in McLaren Racing, and the new McLaren Licensing business. CYVN is also a major stakeholder in Chinese EV brand Nio, and says McLaren will gain access to “visionary technologies and electrification.” Forseven’s own push into the automotive space has been helped by Gordon Murray Technologies, which CYVN also owns.

Thanks to the merger, McLaren’s range will grow into new product categories. No confirmation has been given about what these categories will be, but it’s reasonable to assume McLaren will grow beyond just selling supercars and hypercars, and may finally follow its rivals in building an SUV.

Future Model Plans

The brand has repeatedly denied working on an SUV in recent years, but last year, reports surfaced suggesting it could partner with BMW on an SUV. While that won’t be happening because of this deal, a different SUV project could be in the works.

Read: McLaren’s New MCL38 Editions Bring F1 Glory To The Road

Leading the newly formed McLaren Group Holdings will be Forseven CEO Nick Collins. The company is working on a six-month turnaround for McLaren Automotive and will reveal details about its future models later this year. Collins confirmed to Autocar that Forseven and McLaren will work on both ICE and EV models. It’s also possible that features like Nio’s autonomous driving features, and perhaps even its battery-swapping technologies, could be used while leveraging McLaren’s expertise in carbon fiber monocoques.

“This is a financial investment that we will build out and, in my mind, become one of the best, if not the best car company in the world,” Collins described. “That might take a very long time, but the people that back this have a long-term horizon for a sustainably profitable business that is admired around the world.”

McLaren shifted a touch over 2,000 cars last year, well behind the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini, which delivered over 13,000 and over 10,000 cars, respectively. But, with McLaren venturing into new vehicle segments, its output will inevitably swell.

It’s not every day that a multi-million-dollar electric hypercar pops up for sale in a public auction, but here we are. When your average crossover feels like the automotive equivalent of waiting in line at the DMV, something like a Rimac Nevera is more like flying private through a lightning storm with a jetpack.

More: Rimac Nevera Takes On Bugatti Chiron Super Sport And Tesla Model S Plaid

Now, super-high-end cars aren’t accessible the way a Dodge Hornet is. They’re so desirable that wait lists often span years, not months. The Rimac Nevera is that sort of car, and while there are some questions about how popular it really is amongst 1-percenters, there’s no doubt that it’s a halo car. It makes over 1,800 horsepower, initially cost more than $2 million, and has looks to kill. Now, we’re about to see how much one goes for on the open market.

This particular example is a 2023 model, finished in a striking blue pearlescent paint and outfitted with blue leather upholstery and staggered 20-inch wheels. Like every Nevera, it uses four independent electric motors, each paired with its own gearbox. A 120 kWh battery pack powers the system, delivering a combined output of 1,813 horsepower. Rimac claims it can rocket from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 1.85 seconds and cover the quarter mile in a barely believable 8.6 seconds.

Bringing it back to reality, six-piston calipers and electro-hydraulic CCM-R brakes handle stopping duties, while electronically adjustable dampers help keep the ride composed.

Beyond the Numbers

Photos BaT

What really stands out about it, beyond its insane performance, is the attention to detail. Befitting of a seven-figure car, it seems that every centimeter is all but perfect. The carbon fiber weave looks stunning, the door openings are large for easy ingress and egress, and the touch surfaces look like a pleasure to manipulate.

The previous owner is associated with the YouTube-famous Triple F Collection. You can watch this same car on their channel. The odometer shows 1,371 miles, and the car comes with its original window sticker indicating a price of €2,136,000 or roughly $2.3 million. The high bid on Bring a Trailer right now is $1,155,000.

That said, it wouldn’t be surprising if the car doesn’t sell at auction. Sometimes, a top bid on an auction site like Bring A Trailer just means the buyer has earned the chance to negotiate. If both parties can agree on a final number, it might sell off the platform after the auction ends.

Either way, it’s worth keeping an eye on. This is the fastest electric production car in the world, and it’s not every day you get to see one up for grabs—let alone watch people try to name their price.

Photos BaT

A flurry of orders, rave reviews and a Car of the Year gong proved Renault made the right decision bringing the 5 back as an EV, and now it’s taken the retro-electric idea a step further. The 5 Turbo 3E is a 535 hp (540 PS) tribute to the nutty 1980s Renault 5 Turbo rally car that reaches showrooms in 2027.

Related: Renault 5 Turbo 3E Is An Electric Hyper Hatch With Over 500 HP

Though it looks like a regular front-wheel drive 5 EV with a wide-arch kit (and you can bet plenty will be converted), the Turbo 3E is built around a bespoke aluminium platform and carries over only a few details like the rear lights and door mirrors. At 1,450 kg (3,200 lbs) VW Golf GTi.

Dual Motors, Drift Mode, and Serious Speed

It features two in-wheel motors at the back making 200 kW (268 hp / 272 PS) each and Renault promises it’ll be capable of pulling off some epic slides with the help of a drift-assist function and rally-style vertical handbrake. A sub-3.5-second zero to 62 mph (100 kmh) time is quoted, which means performance should be on a par with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

A 70 kWh battery housed under the floor provides up to 248 miles (400 km) of range when driven sensibly, and unlike the everyday 5 EV, this one has 800-volt electrics, meaning it can handle 350 kW charging and fill from 15-80 percent in 15 minutes.

Compared with the stock 5 the two-seat Turbo’s 2,570 mm (101.2 inches) wheelbase is 30 mm (1.2 inches) longer and the windscreen moved back to alter the proportions. Renault says the platform was developed by Alpine so we’d be amazed if this isn’t the same architecture we’ll find under the skin of the new A110 electric sports car due very soon.

Twenty-inch wheels tucked under each distended arch appear much bigger than that and upper vents cut into each rear quarter panel send air exiting through the rear bodywork. Their lower counterparts, meanwhile are used to cool the brakes. We don’t get to see much of the interior in Renault’s picture gallery but it tells us to expect six-point harnesses, carbon trim, Alcantara coverings and 10.1-inch and 10.25-inch OpenR screens.

Retro Colors, Price TBD

Renault launched the 3E in colors that tip a hat to the 1982 Tour de Corse livery of the original Turbo, but other colors and graphics will be available, some retro and others contemporary. There’ll also be plenty of personalization options to help part wealthy buyers from even more money.

Exactly how much money they’ll need to spend to get their hands on one of the 1,980 Turbos (that number a reference to the rally car’s launch date), Renault isn’t saying. But we’re expecting it to be in the junior supercar category. American sales aren’t planned, but fans in Europe, the Middle East, Japan and Australia will get the chance to place an order in the next few weeks with first deliveries scheduled for 2027.

Celeritas Levitatis means the Speed of Lightness and it’s the hallmark of Longbow. This new automaker out of the UK believes that it has the solution for the overweight automobiles that crowd our streets. “Weight invites complexity, blunts agility, and dulls the senses,” it says. Fixing those issues required going back to the drawing board. What it’s come up with are two new electric sports cars that weigh less than a Mazda MX-5.

Meet the Speedster, an open-cockpit, windshield-free thrill machine, and the Roadster, which, somewhat counterintuitively given its name, has a fixed hardtop.

The Team Behind the Cars—and the Tesla Trolling

Longbow isn’t just a couple of enthusiasts in a garage with big ideas; it was actually founded by two former Tesla engineers, Daniel Davy and Mark Tapscott, along with the former CEO of an electric boat company. Their resumes include stints at Lucid Motors, BYD, Formula E, Lotus, Aston Martin, and Ariel—essentially, a greatest-hits lineup of performance and EV expertise.

And then there’s the name. Longbow’s Roadster is an undeniable swipe at Tesla’s long-hyped—and even longer-delayed—Roadster, which was supposed to debut in 2020, following the unveiling of a prototype even further back in 2017. Speaking to Top Gear, Daniel Davy made it clear that the name was a deliberate jab at Tesla’s continuously-delayed Roadster II.

“A lot of customers have put deposits down for a Roadster they can’t get,” Davy told the magazine. “So we thought we’d be the first electric Roadster to actually follow the Tesla Roadster. If people want to get their $250,000 deposit back for a 2020 car and put it into something better, they’ll get one sooner with us. They’re welcome to do it. Our Roadster’s going to be on the ground first.”

The Specs: Light, Fast, and Purpose-Built

First up is the Speedster. Devoid of a windshield or roof, the two-seater boasts an estimated range of 275 miles (WLTP). It’ll weigh just 1,973 pounds (895 kg) and rocket from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. That’s on par with some very fast supercars and identical to that of a Tesla Model Y Performance (though the latter is with a rollout).

More: Caterham’s CSR Twenty Is The Priciest, Most Premium Seven Ever

Once Longbow finishes production of the Speedster, which is scheduled to start early next year, it’ll move onto a hardtop version called the Roadster. The latter weighs a bit more at 2,193 pounds, so it’s 0.1 seconds slower to 60 mph. It will have five additional miles of range though, for a total of 280 miles. Those figures sound great, but Longbow still hasn’t said anything about battery size or motor configuration.

A New British EV Player—or Just Another Dream?

The company says that, apart from being the “first-ever British electric sports car manufacturer”, it also introduces “a new category that re-energises an iconic automotive archetype with the official unveiling of the world’s first Featherweight Electric Vehicle (FEV)”. It also proudly states that, with the Speedster and Roadster, it “offers a unique take on the rich British tradition of lightweight sportscars, focusing on real-road performance with an unparalleled driving experience”.

Pricing and Availability

Reservations are open for both models. The Speedster will cost around $110,000 (₤84,995), which include local UK VAT (tax), while the Roadster goes for $84,000 (₤64,995 with VAT). Longbow promises some special versions, like the Luminary 1st Edition and Autograph Edition, which will be limited to just 10 and 25 examples respectively. It’s also only going to make 150 examples of the Speedster, so interested parties might want to make a reservations sooner rather than later in order to secure an example.

It’s worth noting that these promises are sincerely grand. Viewing them with a pinch of salt or maybe more could turn out to be very wise. It’s honestly hard to count just how many different companies have popped up with a cool car concept only to end up falling by the wayside before building a single production car. Hopefully, Longbow has figured out the secret sauce and will make it. We’re all for more innovation and more fast cars. 

Cast your mind back a few years, and the internet was rife with speculation that Apple was about to launch its own automobile. The tech giant had been linked to partnerships with all kinds of automakers, including Hyundai, Kia, Porsche, BYD, and Toyota. However, early last year, reports emerged that the ambitious project had officially been canned, with up to around 600 employees given their marching orders or being retrenched within the company.

While we may never know just how close the world came to an “iCar”, what we do know is that one of Apple’s tech rivals has quietly gone about bringing its own EV to market. That rival is Xiaomi, another tech company that managed to sell 135,000 units of its SU7 in China since it debuted in March 2024.

Read: Apple Lays Off 614 Workers After Canceling Electric Car Project

While Xiaomi is best known in the West for its phones, at home, the company has developed a connected ecosystem of consumer products that even the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Google can only dream of. From smart lights to air purifiers to robot vacuum cleaners to blenders, the company offers a wide range of consumer tech products, all of which are controlled from one app. And that’s exactly why a car is a great addition to the company’s lineup.

All About The Ecosystem

Nowadays, tech companies aren’t interested in selling you a singular device – they’re more invested in offering a whole ecosystem, the benefits of which can only be truly reaped once you commit to a company’s products. Whether it be the ease with which an iPhone can communicate with a Macbook or how seamlessly a Galaxy smartphone can stream to a Samsung TV, ecosystems are all around us. Even cars are judged based on whether they offer CarPlay or Android Auto.

However, Xiaomi offers buyers more than just an infotainment system. By selling its own car, Xiaomi can potentially attract clients to its network of connected devices like never before. The SU7 can use data collected from those other devices to ready itself for a user’s routine, such as determining the best time to recharge the car’s batteries.

“Xiaomi has really started infiltrating your home,” said Gary Ng, an economist with Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking, speaking to the New York Times. “Everything is linked together, and this is something other companies couldn’t do.”

China’s Supply Chain Success

Another factor that allowed Xiaomi to develop its first car quickly is the environment in which it operates. China’s electric car makers have been the beneficiaries of billions of dollars worth of state support. The supply chain for EVs is practically wrapped up inside the nation, with Xiaomi securing battery supplies from BYD and CATL, two of the world’s largest battery makers. The company then took over a manufacturing plant from Beijing Auto Group before pumping out its new sedan.

In all aspects, Xiaomi managed to hit the ground running. Now, with plans to launch a second car in the form of an SUV, and construction of a new manufacturing plant well underway, its automotive plans are full steam ahead.

See Also: Xiaomi President Confirms Global EV Expansion Coming Soon

Of course, success is still far from guaranteed. The company faces intense competition from a wide range of home-grown rivals, including electronics rival Huawei, which has teamed up with multiple automakers.

But Xiaomi is also putting up a fight against foreign brands. With the SU7 starting at just $30,000, it offers Porsche-like looks with class-leading tech. Coincidentally, in the year since the Xiaomi SU7 was launched, Porsche’s sales in China were down 30 percent.

With more and more Chinese automakers looking for success outside of their home nation, it could be a matter of time before more of the globe starts seeing the SU7 as a compelling option.

Heavy lifting expertise shortens project schedule and provides contingency planning The N05-A platform is the first offshore gas platform in the Dutch North Sea to be powered entirely by wind power – harnessing electricity via cable from the nearby 113.4 MW Riffgat offshore wind farm. The platform is part of the GEMS (‘Gateway to the …

The post Efficient load-out of first wind-powered offshore gas platform in the Dutch North Sea  appeared first on Alternative Energy HQ.

Bergen, Norway February 17th, 2025 — Since going into service in 2015, the MF Ampere has now sailed an astonishing distance equivalent to 17 times around the equator on batteries alone, solidifying its place as a groundbreaking achievement in sustainable maritime transport. A decade on and the Ampere continues to showcase the transformative potential of electric …

The post World’s first fully electric ferry celebrates 10 years of success appeared first on Alternative Energy HQ.

U.S. Domestic Solar Production Reaches Historic Milestone Washington, D.C. – The United States has surpassed 50 GW in domestic solar energy manufacturing capacity for the first time in history, enough to power approximately 37.5 million homes. This milestone marks an impressive progress—bolstered by clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—by the renewable energy …

The post U.S. Domestic Solar Production Reaches Historic Milestone appeared first on Alternative Energy HQ.

By Joel Jaeger, Katrina McLaughlin, Lori Bird and Karl Hausker   Building a clean, reliable, cost-effective power grid will require many different types of energy. The bulk will come from solar and wind; but since these aren’t available 24/7, 365 days a year, they must be paired with a smaller amount of clean, “firm” power that’s always available when needed. …

The post Next-Generation Geothermal Can Help Unlock 100% Clean Power appeared first on Alternative Energy HQ.

Current methods used to process hydrogen into a usable fuel are cost-prohibitive, but several new innovations are promising to open the door to cost-competitive green hydrogen. Hydrogen is well positioned to be the fuel of the future. However, a commercially viable transition to green hydrogen – the environmentally friendly version of the fuel – seems …

The post Fueling the Future: Unlocking Low-Cost Green Hydrogen appeared first on Alternative Energy HQ.