- The deal deepens ties between the two automakers, which are both heavily backed by a new Abu Dhabi state holding company.
- Nio confirmed its partnership with McLaren in September 2025.
Nio Inc is currently supplying battery packs to British supercar maker McLaren, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker's founder, chairman and CEO William Li said Saturday.
Li revealed the information during a face-to-face user event in Wuhan, Hubei province, according to auto blogger @特来哥_谢老板. Li did not provide further details on the battery supply arrangement.
Nio describes itself as a user-centric company and frequently holds in-person events with users, during which it often shares important business information about the company.
The confirmation marks a significant step in technical cooperation between the two companies that are currently both backed by a new Abu Dhabi state holding company, L'imad Holding.
Abu Dhabi consolidated the stakes in Nio and McLaren held by CYVN Holdings into L'imad in January this year in a move that aims to streamline Abu Dhabi's investments through centralized management.
A US Securities and Exchange Commission filing by Nio in January showed that L'imad holds a 17.9% stake in the company. L'imad is wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi government through the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance.
The chairman of the new fund's board is Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
CYVN completed the acquisition of McLaren's automotive business in April 2025. The fund said at the time that McLaren would receive electrification support from its strategic investment in Nio.
Nio previously confirmed its partnership with McLaren in September 2025. Li said at the time that Nio's technical service revenue primarily came from the British automaker.
Local media outlet Yiou reported in June 2025 that Nio would develop power batteries for McLaren, and these battery packs are intended for use in McLaren's hybrid models.
The battery packs will be built based on Nio's in-house developed 4680 large cylindrical battery cells and the initially launched battery packs will have a capacity of only about 10 kWh, with low-volume production expected in 2026, according to the Yiou report.
