First Lamborghini EV to Be a Two-Door Coupe, Says CEO
Lamborghini’s first electric vehicle (EV) will likely end up being a versatile, four-seater, two-door coupe with significantly more ground clearance than one would expect from a car with the golden bull badge on it, company CEO Stephan Winkelmann told TechCrunch in an interview.
The Italian automaker is set to launch its first EV sometime in the latter half of the decade, and it looks like Lamborghini’s foray into electric propulsion won’t be a pure supercar like the Aventador or the Huracan. Don’t expect to see a Rimac Nivera rival from Lamborghini anytime soon.
Lamborghini reported record sales for 2021, up 13% from the previous year thanks to demand for its ultra-luxury Urus SUV. However, the luxury carmaker is still figuring out what its future will look like in a world that is rapidly transitioning towards all-electric cars.
2022 will be the last year Lamborghini introduces a new vehicle equipped only with an internal combustion engine (ICE). 2023 will mark the start of the automaker’s transition to electric, with the launch of the first plug-in hybrid Lamborghini — the Aventador V12.
Winkelmann hopes to stick to manufacturing plug-in hybrids for as long as possible, while the company fleshes out and readies its first all-electric offering.
“We are looking a lot into the battery technologies and what type of engines you need on board to make a car ready for Lamborghini, but also ready for the decade,” said Winkelmann.
However, going all-electric presents an unfortunate problem for the Italian automaker: it does away with the roar of the engine. You can still pack the luxury, comfort, and premium user experience that is expected of a Lamborghini into an electric car, but you can’t make it organically and audibly rev the engine as the driver bears down on the accelerator.
“We have to see how this can be exchanged into a new view of what a supercar is all about,” admitted Winkelmann.
The landscape of EVs and EV technology is constantly evolving, and Lamborghini is paying close attention in order to determine what works with its brand and what doesn’t.
Right now, what Lamborghini does have for its introductory all-electric car is an overall design plan and lots of time. Winkelmann said we should expect the company’s first EV to be “really incredible and very powerful and very true to the spirit of Lamborghini.”
“We have enough time to do it. I’m very confident this will be a real Lamborghini when it comes out.”