McLaren Automotive opens new carbon fiber innovation and production center

McLaren Automotive (Woking, UK) announced on Nov. 14 the official opening of its new McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) in Yorkshire, England. The opening was witnessed by TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain along with representatives from Sheffield and Rotherham Councils, senior local stakeholders and MCTC employees.

The Centre aims to be a world-leader in innovating lightweight carbon fiber and composites that will work together with future powertrain development to save weight and produce improved energy efficiencies. Prototyping has already begun on innovating McLaren’s next generation of lightweight carbon fiber tubs for its sportscars and supercars.

After completing trial tubs in 2019 and once fully operational in 2020, McLaren says the MCTC will create over 200 direct jobs and produce carbon fiber tubs that will be sent to the McLaren Production Centre (MPC, Woking, Surrey) for hand assembly into cars, over 90%of which are then exported to markets worldwide.