Why Lamborghini has delayed its EV plans

The Lamborghini Temerario has arrived in Australia

Lamborghini took a risk and it’s already paying off.

The brand didn’t rush into electric cars and instead took a chance on two new hybrid powertrains for the Revuelto and Temerario models, the latter of which made its Australian debut this week in Sydney. With both of these new models already proving popular with buyers, and electric vehicles proving less popular than first expected, it has allowed Lamborghini to push back its previous plans to introduce a pair of EVs.

The original plan called for an all-new, fourth model for the brand, a 2+2 GT-style model with an all-electric powertrain which would then be joined by an all-electric second-generation Urus SUV. But with hybrids proving more popular with customers, Lamborghini will instead delay the launch of the fourth model and make the next Urus a plug-in hybrid.

“So we are constantly looking into what is happening, not only at our level, but also at premium level because the acceptance curve in our category is even lower than somewhere else,” Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann told Torquecafe. “So, we see that there is going to be a sweet spot in some years from now.”

The next-generation Lamborghini Urus will be plug-in hybrid instead of all-electric

He added: “So a fourth model with a new body style also with a new generation coming up and being all more and more into sustainability, we think that by the end of this decade is a good moment for the second [electric] car. This would’ve been the Urus follow-up, but we decided that for the Urus follow-up there will be another plug-in hybrid car.

“This is a very important decision we took because we think that we have to safeguard as long as possible the plug-in hybrid, the ICE engines, and we can see that this was accepted by our dealers in a very positive way.”

Lamborghini’s decision to make both the Temerario and Revuelto hybrids, which meant the development of new internal combustion engines for both (a V8 and V12, respectively), was a risk, but Winkelmann said customers still want the noise and emotion that only an engine can bring, especially these high-revving ones.

However, the slow uptake of EVs, especially at the upper-end of the car market, does leave Lamborghini in a tricky spot because legislation around the world is becoming more and more stringent on emissions and forcing car makers towards electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles regardless of consumer demand.

Asked if that puts Lamborghini in a tough spot trying to meet the contrasting demands of regulations and consumers, Winkelmann took a positive approach to the situation. He’s happy for Lamborghini to let other brands lead the way into new technology spaces, as long as the Italian brand ultimately offers the superior performance package.

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann at the Australian launch of the Temerario

“I think that challenge is always there when you’re in this business, and it’s clear that we are in a disruptive phase,” he said. “But it’s what we said with the hybrids is that we don’t want to be the first ones to get there, but when we are going to be there, the public has to be ready. The technology has to be the best one and fitting to our type of cars. And I think that it is paying off because the Revuelto is sold out until ‘27.”

Winkelmann believes Lamborghini is well-positioned to take advantage of any market shift when it happens, revealing the company is already well along its development path for its first EV but is also planning for synthetic fuels to extend the life of internal combustion engines. But for now, the decision to opt for the hybrid powertrains in the Temerario and Revuelto has been the right one.

“I think that our engineers and all of us, we are very confident that we are able to do so,” he said. “And it’s clear that if the legislator is faster than the technology, you have an additional challenge and therefore, with the hybrid, in my opinion, we did the right thing. We said we are doing the ICE cars as long as possible, as it was a very successful period of time and now these ones are equally successful.”