Current business activities
Motorsport
In motorsport, McLaren Applied is perhaps best known for manufacturing the Standard Electronic Control Unit (SECU) for all F1 teams. McLaren Applied have supplied this electronic control unit since 2008, and most recently secured a further extension of this contract to be F1's ECU provider from 2026 - 2030. McLaren Applied also supplies software, sensors and other components to multiple Formula One teams.
In addition to Formula One, McLaren Applied also provides the engine control units used in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and IndyCar Series. The two ECU's share a common base, and McLaren Applied have held the contract for the IndyCar series since 2007 and later 2010 as a standard ECU supplier (previously IndyCar's ECU supplier was Motorola) and NASCAR Cup Series since 2012, which were also switching to fuel injection from carburation, had left an open choice. McLaren Applied produced the electric motor, transmission and electronics used in the Spark-Renault SRT 01E, the car used in the inaugural Formula E season.
Automotive
McLaren Applied is a longstanding supplier of automotive grade components. It has specialised in vehicle electrification, particularly inverters. The current fifth generation product, known as IPG5, is based on an 800v Silicon Carbide architecture offering significantly improved efficiency, performance and control fidelity. The product has gained global recognition and secured orders with several car-makers.
Communication technology
McLaren Applied delivers stable connectivity for unstable environments, including public transport and mining through the first 5G edge computing antenna in addition to F1-derived software. It recently launched the Halo300 antenna range.
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Electric scooters
In August 2023, Lavoie, McLaren Applied's electric scooter unit, purchased Dutch e-bike manufacturer VanMoof.
Former business activities
McLaren Applied has a history of undertaking pioneering technical projects, often quite different to today's more focussed business. Here are some examples.
In 2010, McLaren Applied developed systems that supported Team GB's 2012 London Olympics medal bids in rowing, sailing and cycling.
McLaren Applied worked with Specialized Bicycle Components to produce the Specialized S-Works+McLaren Venge racing bike, as ridden by Mark Cavendish.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) worked with McLaren Applied on developing drugs, vaccines and medication. McLaren Applied also helped develop some household brands of GSK including Aquafresh, Horlicks, Sensodyne, NiQuitin and more. McLaren Applied enabled GSK's toothpaste production line at Maidenhead to cut the time it takes to change over one toothpaste brand or flavour to another from 39 minutes to 15 minutes, resulting in the factory becoming more productive to the tune of 6.7 million tubes of toothpaste a year.
McLaren Applied handled electronics and data for the Ekofisk drilling plant in the North Sea. The McLaren Applied ENERGY website stated: "McLaren Applied has taken its knowledge of analysing large data sets and applied it to drilling. Using real time data direct from the drilling head, the computer models developed by McLaren Applied constantly updates and provides insight that helps guide operational decision making on a day-to-day basis."
McLaren Applied also worked with Wind Turbines companies and data centre companies. McLaren Applied also worked with IO on the design of their data centres and cooling systems for IO.
