Recent McLaren patent applications refers to the three-motor drivetrain of the supercars of the future.
A patent application published in January 2023 first detected The leadership, describes a rear axle drive unit consisting of three differentials with electric motors. A primary motor is located at the input of the differential, and two more are located at the outputs, where the axle shafts exit and connect the differential to the rear wheels. Motors and gears of this weight would have a housing made of aluminum or magnesium to save weight depending on the application.
In the application, McLaren claims that the three-motor system would allow finer control of power output and regenerative braking by manipulating each engine. Depending on the application, hydrogen can work with fuel cells or supercapacitors as well as batteries. The same drive unit can be used on the front axle for all-wheel drive, or even for three-wheeled vehicles, McLaren claims.
This isn’t the first patent application McLaren has filed for this concept. Another application published in November 2022 details a more complex system that retains the internal combustion engine. This includes an electric motor driving each front wheel, a third electric motor driving the rear wheels along with the internal combustion engine.
It’s a way to build on current McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid, which uses a single electric motor to help the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 drive the rear wheels, and is also capable of 19 miles of electric range. Adding front motors would allow for all-wheel drive, and the patent filing discusses switching off the rear motor and the internal combustion engine, meaning all-electric operation would be handled as well.
McLaren Applied Technologies, a spin-off from road car development unit McLaren Automotive, also recently announced a partnership Elaphe company dealing with wheeled motors to incorporate the latter’s technology into “highly efficient and hypersensitive electric vehicle powertrains.” So while these concepts may not make it to production, McLaren is clearly interested in experimenting with a greater degree of electrification.
HIGH RESOLUTION GALLERY: McLaren Tri-Motor Powertrain Patent Image (from January 2023 filing)
This article was originally published by Motor Vehicle Authority, editorial partner ClassicCars.com.
