Lamborghini's First EV Could Become A Hybrid Instead
Revealed in 2023 as a concept, the Lamborghini Lanzador was meant to be Sant'Agata's first all-electric production car, and at the time, the automaker intended for it to enter production in 2028. Not long ago, that timeline was extended by a year, and now it seems that Lamborghini may not even launch an EV, if recent comments by CEO Stephan Winkelmann are anything to go by.
'We took two decisions so far based on the fact that the acceptance curve of the electric cars worldwide and globally, not only in our type of segment, is flattening, and this is even more true for our type [of cars],' said Winkelmann, speaking with Australia's CarExpert. 'The first decision is that Urus replacement would be, again, a plug-in hybrid, and that we postpone the launch of the fourth [model].' Winkelmann went on to say that Lamborghini has to decide which way to go for the Lanzador soon, saying that 'it's possible' the smaller-than-Urus concept will also become a PHEV.
Lamborghini Is Keeping Its Options Open
For a company specializing in small-volume vehicles, introducing an all-electric vehicle to an unreceptive market could be a huge waste of time, energy, money, and brand value. As he said when the Lanzador was first unveiled, Winkelmann reiterated that Lamborghini does not need to be among the first to sell an EV, 'but we need to be there when the people are ready to buy these things,' he said, adding that 'this is paramount for the success of a company like ours.'
Similar sentiments were uttered by Bugatti-Rimac CEO, Mate Rimac, who was adamant the former brand needed a big engine in its Chiron successor when he took over and told Autocar last year that the latter brand may not make another electric hypercar because of weak demand. Wealthy buyers simply aren't that interested in EVs, say CEOs, but they will be, and introducing the right sort of EV for this market at the right time will be critical to long-term success.
Combustion To Remain As Long As Possible
Source: Lamborghini
Mr. Winkelmann commented on the promise of sustainable fuels that could keep the internal combustion engine feasible for many years to come, calling this area of innovation 'a huge opportunity,' adding that Lamborghini will retain combustion in 'the two supercars' – Temerario and Revuelto – as long as possible. As other automakers have noted, this is about more than just performance, with the powertrain also affecting 'emotion' and residual values.
Lamborghini is happy to keep delaying its all-electric vehicle, perhaps indefinitely, until it sees market research that suggests such a thing would sell in reasonably profitable numbers, reflecting an industry-wide sentiment. Bentley's first EV was recently delayed, and Ferrari is slowing its entries to the segment too, with both of them adding more hybrid options to their lineups. Porsche didn't wait with the Macan Electric, but it is now rumored to be considering reviving the combustion-powered variant.
About the Author
Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
EU-US deal avoids damaging trade war, says Irish premier
The Irish premier has welcomed a new trade agreement between the US and EU as having 'avoided a damaging trade war'. Taoiseach Micheal Martin also said there is 'much to be negotiated' following what he termed a 'framework agreement'. Speaking to the media in Dublin on Monday, Mr Martin said it 'opens up the prospect of more significant strategic collaboration between the US and Europe on quite a number of issues'. 'It also avoids further escalation, or indeed a trade conflict, which would be very, very damaging to the economies of the United States and of the European Union,' he said. 'It's important to say that Europe never sought tariffs, or never sought to impose tariffs, and fundamentally, we are against tariffs: we believe in an open trading economy.' Mr Martin said it is a very different situation than before April 1. 'New realities are in play and so at a broader level, the stability and predictability that this agreement brings is important for businesses, is important for consumers and indeed patients when it comes to the manufacturing and distribution of medicines,' he said. 'In essence, we have avoided a trade conflict here which would have been ruinous, which would have been very damaging to our economy, and to jobs in particular. 'The challenge now for Europe is to work on its own inefficiencies, to reduce barriers within the single market, to press ahead more ambitiously and more proactively on trade diversification and trade deals with other countries that would facilitate that market diversification that is required. 'Meanwhile, there is much to be negotiated in the aftermath of this framework agreement.' Asked about mixed reactions to the deal in Europe, Mr Martin said: 'Nobody is welcoming tariffs with open arms. 'I think we've been consistent in saying that we don't agree with tariffs, that we prefer if there weren't tariffs, but we have to deal with realities. 'I understand people criticising, but given the balance and the options here… in my view, I would appreciate the work of the (European) Commission in this regard, and the avoidance of a trade war is preferable, in my view, and that's the key issue.'
Auto Car
9 minutes ago
- Auto Car
The story behind the UK's newest and most inclusive car show
Bentley also brought along an extravagantly decorated Flying Spur to mark the inauguration of this new event, while Lister boss Lawrence Whittaker (who also runs Warrantywise) arrived in a magnificently wrapped Jaguar LFT-666 coupé for the occasion. Colourful decor and bold signwriting was everywhere, matching the cars and the apparel of attendees, and the warmth of the sun matched that of the happy crowd – who were all invited to visit the museum's 400-car collection as part of their attendance. A count-up of attending car-company models showed that the event had won support from Alpine, Aston Martin, Bentley, Dacia, Genesis, Jaguar, Land Rover, McLaren, Peugeot, Renault, Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen and more – all of them keen to stress the importance of diversity and inclusiveness both to the success of their businesses and the satisfaction of their employees and customers. There were several prize winners: the butchest car was a 991 Porsche 911 GT3 (with a satanic-looking matt-grey Pontiac Catalina as runner-up) and the gayest car was a Mk3.5 Volkswagen Golf Cabrio in an almost overwhelmingly bright shade of Futura Yellow (with a tiny Lotus Europa as runner up). But the programme-ending best story award was grabbed by a pair of blokes who had just finished rescuing and reviving an old Vauxhall Frontera from a local garden – on grounds that it didn't deserve to die – and had given it a vivid set of orange wheels to celebrate its new lease on life. They had only just managed to squeeze it through the MOT test in time for the event and took the big prize to warm applause. Like so many tales on that sunny afternoon, it was an inspiring story of car love and optimism.
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
What to know about the Royal Mail changes effective from now
Major changes to Royal Mail 's delivery services have commenced, allowing second-class letters to be delivered on alternate weekdays and no longer on Saturdays. Delivery targets for both first and second-class post have been relaxed, though Ofcom has introduced a new enforceable backstop to ensure 99% of mail arrives within two days of the target. Regulator Ofcom states these reforms are crucial for Royal Mail's survival, aiming to cut annual costs by £250 million to £425 million due to declining letter volumes. The changes follow Royal Mail's £348 million loss in 2023-24 and recent fines for poor performance, with a review into stamp prices also planned. While criticised by consumer and business groups, the overhaul comes after Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's EP Group completed its £3.6 billion takeover of Royal Mail owner IDS.
