Lamborghini Shifts from EVs to Plug-In Hybrids
▼ Summary
– Lamborghini has abandoned plans for a full electric vehicle, deciding instead to focus on developing more plug-in hybrids.
– The company believes it cannot sell EVs because its high-end customers are not interested in them, preferring unrestrained driving experiences.
– Lamborghini canceled its electric SUV, the Lanzador, in late 2025, citing an unready market and the financial irresponsibility of heavy EV investment.
– Despite having access to EV technology from its parent Volkswagen Group, Lamborghini found it too difficult to engineer sufficient drama into an electric car.
– Even adding artificial sound effects could not solve the core challenge of making an EV exciting enough to fit the brand’s dramatic identity.
For years, Lamborghini has wrestled with a fundamental question: how to build an electric vehicle that lives up to its legendary brand identity. The company, known for prioritizing theatrical driving experiences over mere lap times, found the quiet, seamless acceleration of electric powertrains to be at odds with its core philosophy. The challenge of engineering enough emotional “wow” factor into an EV proved so immense that Lamborghini has officially shifted its focus, abandoning plans for a fully electric model in favor of expanding its lineup of plug-in hybrids.
This strategic pivot is not due to a lack of technical resources. As part of the Volkswagen Group, Lamborghini has full access to the advanced EV platforms used by Audi and Porsche. The decision stems from a clear market reality. In the exclusive world of supercars, where customers spend hundreds of thousands or even millions, the demand for pure electric vehicles is virtually nonexistent. These buyers are not looking for restraint; they purchase a Lamborghini for its visceral, unfiltered character, something the company believes current EV technology cannot adequately replicate.
Confirming this new direction, CEO Stephan Winkelmann recently stated that the planned Lanzador electric SUV, unveiled in concept form in 2023, has been canceled. He emphasized that pouring vast resources into full-EV development without a ready customer base would be financially irresponsible. “It would be an expensive hobby,” Winkelmann noted, highlighting the duty to shareholders, customers, and employees.
The company could have attempted to simulate the missing drama, perhaps by adopting an artificial exhaust sound system similar to concepts explored by other automakers. Yet, for Lamborghini, engineering sufficient soul and spectacle into a silent, electric SUV, no matter how potent, ultimately proved an insurmountable hurdle. The future, for now, belongs to hybrid powertrains that can deliver both explosive performance and the signature sensory assault the brand’s clients expect.
(Source: Ars Technica)
