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McLaren Invests £500 Million to Expand UK SUV Production

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 10:24 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

McLaren Invests £500M

McLaren Automotive is investing £500 million in the UK to expand production and launch an SUV.
Funding for the plan comes from L’IMAD, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign investor.
McLaren will add a UK assembly facility and expand its Woking and Sheffield plants.
The program aims to create at least 1,000 UK jobs by 2032 and double the workforce.
McLaren will design and build two new hybrid engines and transmissions in Britain.

Summary

Collins Delays EV

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham hailed the £500 million plan as a sign of “doubling down on Britain”.
The funding arrives while rivals such as Nissan cut plants and Jaguar Land Rover trims staff, indicating industry restructuring.
CEO Nick Collins said McLaren will postpone an electric model because customers aren’t asking for one yet.

History

Historical Context

In 1984 Nissan and the UK government agreed to build a car plant on the former RAF Usworth site; construction began later that year and the factory opened in September 1986, creating a major foreign-direct investment in the North East. By 2005 the Sunderland plant employed roughly 6,000 workers, helping replace shipyard and coal-mine jobs and shaping the region’s modern automotive base.

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McLaren Invests £500M

McLaren Automotive is investing £500 million in the UK to expand production and launch an SUV.
Funding for the plan comes from L’IMAD, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign investor.
McLaren will add a UK assembly facility and expand its Woking and Sheffield plants.
The program aims to create at least 1,000 UK jobs by 2032 and double the workforce.
McLaren will design and build two new hybrid engines and transmissions in Britain.

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