Lamborghini isn't planning to phase out gas engines just yet.- It's launching a slew of plug-in hybrids before launching an all-electric vehicle in 2027 or 2028.
Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann knows his brand needs to move toward sustainability and lower emissions. But even as much of the auto industry shifts away from fossil fuels, you won't see Lamborghini sell an all-electric
The reason is simple, Winkelmann told Insider in an interview: People associate Lambos with big, loud, powerful V10s and V12s (alongside their signature, aggressive styling, and doors that go up, not out) and they're not likely to give that up overnight.
As emissions regulations tighten worldwide, Lamborghini intends to shift course — but in a way that doesn't compromise the "DNA of having strong combustion engines," Winkelmann said.
The storied supercar maker is instead taking a multi-stage approach to electrification without rushing into things. "It's not important to be the first one to adopt, in this case, the technology, but you have to be the best one," he said.
2022 is the last year that Lamborghini will only sell pure-combustion vehicles.
By 2024, it plans to overhaul its lineup with three plug-in hybrids: successors to the Aventador and Huracan
Hybridization is crucial for making Lamborghini greener in a way that is "acceptable and digestible" by markets and consumers, Winkelmann said. Marrying clean electric motors and big gas engines allows the company to appeal to two opposing factions of its customer base: the older, combustion-engine purists and the younger crowd, which places greater value on environmental responsibility.
"We have generations which are still very much looking into internal combustion engines, and we have new generations which are saying, 'we want you to be compliant and we want you to reduce emissions,'" Winkelmann said. "We have to move accordingly without diluting the values of the brand."
Ferrari, Lamborghini's main rival, already sells two plug-in hybrid models.
By 2025, Lamborghini aims to cut its CO2 emissions in half. Sometime around 2027 or 2028, Lamborghini will launch its first all-electric vehicle, a four-seat, "daily usable" car, as Winkelmann puts it. It'll also sell an electric version of the Urus SUV, by far its top-selling model.
But the company sees an opportunity to keep its supercars hybrid through the advent and wider distribution of synthetic fuels, which could allow combustion engines to operate with minimal harmful emissions. If that doesn't come to bear, legislation will "guide us into electrification, for sure," Winkelmann said. But Lamborghini is taking things one step at a time.