Around three years ago, VW subsidiary Lamborghini surprised everyone with its ambitious e-car plans. A sports coupé with crossover genes, christened the Lanzador, quickly became the talk of the town — even beyond the Volkswagen Group. However, a rethink has taken place in Italy. A pure electric car originally planned for release at the end of this decade will no longer be produced. Instead, the focus will now shift to plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
Lamborghini Boss Rejects E-Car Idea
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann expressed his fears that the development of an electric car could become “an expensive hobby” for the manufacturer. In other words, Lamborghini no longer expects to recoup development costs for a new e-car. This might sound surprising at first, as e-cars are gaining momentum worldwide.
However, Winkelmann clarified in an interview with the British newspaper that the acceptance curve for battery-electric cars among Lamborghini customers is “almost zero”. That is why the decision was made to launch the Lanzador as a plug-in hybrid. In other words, it features an electric motor and a combustion engine for a genuine sports-car experience with greater range.
This foray into the PHEV world is not new for Lamborghini. The Urus, among others, is already available as a plug-in hybrid. And according to Winkelmann, it is already clear that new “Lambos” will continue to be available with a combustion engine for as long as possible. One reason behind this? Winkelmann is convinced people who want to buy a sports car generally do not yet have a particularly strong emotional connection to going fully electric. The sound of an internal combustion engine, which is simply part of a sports car’s DNA, is missing.
Focus on Plug-in Hybrids
This makes it all the more important to score points via plug-in hybrids. Winkelmann continued, “They offer the best of both worlds: They combine the agility and responsiveness at low revs of the electric battery with the driving feel and performance of a combustion engine.” As understandable as the move is from Lamborghini’s view, it is still surprising. This is because competitor Ferrari is taking a completely different approach and would also like to score points with fans through future electric cars. The unveiling of the Ferrari Luce is eagerly anticipated and expected to take place this spring.
