Longbow Adds Ex-CEOs to Drive British Electric Sports Cars
Longbow, the pioneering British electric sports car maker, has strengthened its ranks by appointing three former heavyweight automotive CEOs: Dan Balmer, Mike Flewitt and Michael van der Sande. The trio will lead a board of world-class advisers as Longbow accelerates towards manufacturing its driver-obsessed Featherweight Electric Vehicles (FEVs), the Speedster and Roadster.
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 sports cars that follow a timeless recipe, albeit with an electric twist.”
Michael van der Sande, Advisor at Longbow, commented: “Fast, agile, not too heavy, not too complicated and, most importantly, something that puts a smile on your face every day. It’s a compelling concept in theory, promising to be captivating in reality: an electric sports car for people who love driving. Development of a market-defining FEV is by no means a simple task, but Longbow has an exceptional team that knows what it takes.”
Dan Balmer, Advisor at Longbow, commented: “Longbow’s motto ‘Speed of Lightness’ is not just about the sports cars, it’s also about an agile team, optimised product, and accelerated development – lessons the Longbow team learned at some of the world’s most successful EV startups. I am thrilled to be advising Longbow, working with founders Daniel, Mark and Jenny to bring their FEV vision to life.”
Longbow has maintained momentum by appointing Balmer, Flewitt and van der Sande as it targets UK manufacturing of featherweight electric sportscars from 2026. Their track records cover leadership roles across Lotus, McLaren, Aston Martin, Tesla and Lucid, adding depth of expertise. The advisory board provides strategic insight while the Longbow leadership team advances to production and beyond.
Flewitt brings proven strength in manufacturing and scaling production, particularly from his time at McLaren Automotive, which will bolster Longbow as it prepares to meet demand for hand-built British sports cars.
Van der Sande has launched and grown automotive brands, leading Tesla’s European launch, Alpine’s global relaunch and Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations’s exponential global growth.
Balmer draws on engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales and commercial strategy experience at Aston Martin and Lotus; he will help Longbow refine its brand identity and go-to-market activity.
Longbow reimagines the rich British tradition of lightweight sports cars, focusing on real-road performance with an experience crafted around the driver. The team has followed a singular philosophy while developing Speedster and Roadster: simplify, focus on beauty and connection, then add lightness until only automotive intoxication remains.
Longbow designs, engineers and will hand-build every model in the UK. Each benefits from a proven high-performance supply chain, enabling the company to optimise for performance, feel and reliability. Longbow will fit both Speedster and Roadster with a pioneering powertrain package focused on weight, dynamics, performance, longevity and range.
Mark Tapscott, COO at Longbow, commented: “At Longbow, we live by a few simple principles, and central to these is: we can never have too much good advice. Whether it's engineering details, company strategy, customer community building, or even design suggestions, we listen. Combining strength in our conviction to move at the Speed of Lightness with the humility to learn from the incredible expert experience around us is how we'll build the best outcome for the road ahead.”
