Ex-McLaren, Lotus & Alpine CEOs join forces to build Longbow EVs

Longbow, a British lightweight electric sports car manufacturer, started in 2023, has enlisted three former automotive CEOs to lead its advisory board. The three CEOs, Mike Flewitt (ex-McLaren), Dan Balmer (ex-Lotus) and Michael van der Sande (ex-Alpine), will help Longbow push its cars into the market.

The three former automotive CEOs bring with them decades of experience, which Longbow hopes to use as it prepares to enter the automotive sector. The British automotive start-up will debut two sub-1000 kg sports cars in the form of the Speedster & Roadster.

Both the Speedster and Roadster will be lightweight electric cars, with Longbow having already begun accepting reservations for both. The Longbow Roadster will be priced just under GBP 65,000, while the Speedster will have a price tag of GBP 85,000.

The Speedster will also be limited to 150 units, with Longbow claiming a 0-62 mph time of 3.5 seconds and 275 miles of range on a single charge (WLTP cycle).

Mike Flewitt, Advisor at Longbow, commented: “British engineering has long been a point of national pride, but there’s a case to be made that we’ve fallen behind. Longbow represents a return to form, a novel idea with rigorous execution and a team with experience to make it happen. It’s an opportunity to be part of British automotive history, creating iconic sportscars that follow a timeless recipe, albeit with an electric twist.”