McLaren Automotive’s newly announced merger with UK luxury electric vehicle startup Forseven Holdings could allow the iconic British supercar manufacturer to utilize Nio‘s advanced electric vehicle technology, creating an unexpected technological alliance through their common investor.
Abu Dhabi investment group CYVN Holdings, which recently completed its acquisition of McLaren’s automotive business from Bahrain‘s Mumtalakat sovereign wealth fund, has strategically positioned itself as a key player in the global electric mobility landscape. CYVN is the largest shareholder in Chinese EV maker Nio, having increased its stake to approximately 20.1% through a $2.2 billion investment in December 2023, following an initial $738.5 million investment in July 2023.
The potential technology sharing was made more concrete on February 26, 2025, when Nio announced that its subsidiary, Nio Automobile Technology (Anhui) Co., had entered into a technology licensing agreement with Forseven, a CYVN subsidiary. Under this agreement, Nio will grant Forseven ”a non-exclusive and non-transferable global license to use certain existing and future technical information, technical solutions, software, and intellectual property related to or contained in the company’s intelligent electric vehicle platform.“
This licensing agreement explicitly allows Forseven to use Nio‘s technology for ”research and development, manufacturing, sales, import, and export of models sold or promoted under the Forseven brand,“ potentially creating a technological bridge that could extend to McLaren following the merger.
”The merger with Forseven will also allow McLaren to tap into Nio’s EV technology,“ the Financial Times reported, though noting that McLaren‘s CEO, Michael Leiters,” has previously been cautious about whether the technology is ready to make supercars fully electric.“
McLaren has been making losses for the past five years and seeking partnerships to secure funding for new model development. The merger and CYVN’s investment provide capital and potential access to advanced EV technology when the luxury sports car segment faces increasing pressure to electrify.
Nick Collins, who will lead the merged group, indicated flexibility regarding future powertrains, stating the company would ”have the ability to adapt our offer to the pace of transition.“ This suggests McLaren could leverage Nio‘s technology to develop hybrid systems before moving to fully electric supercars.
Industry analysts note that while McLaren has historically hesitated to dilute its brand by following competitors like Ferrari and Lamborghini into the SUV market, the merger could facilitate expansion into new vehicle categories with electrification as a key differentiator.
CYVN chairman Jassem Al Zaabi, who will also become chair of McLaren Group Holdings, emphasized the investment’s strategic nature: ”It isn‘t just about investing, it is about shaping the future of McLaren as a brand, as a business and its place on the global automotive map.“
The potential technology sharing arrangement represents the latest example of Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds creating unexpected bridges between Chinese EV innovation and Western automotive heritage brands. These funds are increasingly positioning themselves as pivotal investors in the global transition to electric mobility.
Source: FT
