After Ferrari and more luxury car brands named their intention to go electric, many even claiming exclusively by 2030, Lamborghini has jumped onto the electric revolution bandwagon as well. Speaking exclusively to AutoExpress, Lambo CEO Stephan Winkleman has announced the first electric car from the Italian bull, and it’s likely to arrive in 2028. Meanwhile, the plug-in hybrid plans are in full swing so Lambo fans will have to content themselves with just that, given that 2028 is quite a wait.
For those who know the slight history of Lamborghini and Ferrari, and the near enmity of the founders, Ferrucio Lamborghini and Enzo Ferrari, the fact remains that Ferrari has once again triumphed by planning to put forth their EV much sooner than Lamborghini.
Ferrari’s EV is likely to be out by 2025, and it already has four hybrids in the market. As compared to its rival, Lamborghini is lagging in the EV game with only one hybrid out, the Sián FKP 37, and it too is not a plug-in one.
Lamborghini’s EV announcement is a welcome call for its fans and the environment, especially since Winkleman claims this electric car will be a “fourth model” with more daily usability than its other existing models. Here’s the down low on the Lamborghini’s EV…
Lamborghini’s Electrification Plans Is A Four-Year Goal
According to various media reports, Lamborghini’s electrification strategy begins with a four-year plan where the first step is to electrify the current line-up. The cost is a whopping $1.88 billion, and the first Lamborghini to break the EV barrier will be a hybrid replacement of the Aventador, arriving soon in 2023.
By 2024, Lamborghini plans a plug-in hybrid successor of the Huracan, and then hot on its heels, a plug-in Urus SUV, thus turning its lineup as electric and electrifying as possible. Plans to completely convert these models into EVs are not in the immediate future because Winkleman wants these to remain hybrid for as long as possible, given the advent of synthetic duels. That said, he readily agrees that they have time to take a call on propulsion and will wait till 2025, and first see how the hybrids and the market take on each other.
Meanwhile, the plug-in Huracan replacement might be related rather closely to the next-gen Aventador since Audi has canceled any plans for a next-gen R8, thus taking away any platform-sharing dreams.
Lamborghini’s EV May Get Help From Volkswagen
Much like the Huracan and Audi R8 sharing platforms, Lamborghini 2028 EV is also likely to take some help in EV tech from the way the bigger pool of the Volkswagen group. We know that the Lamborghini EV will be a fourth model, and will not replace any of the existing current lines. It’s touted as a widening of Lambo offerings and not something that could replace any of the current greats, and that’s a good thing.
Winkleman divulged that the EV will be a new model of its own, and one that comes with more daily usability than the other hypercars on offer. He also mentioned a 2+2 seating, 2-door setup with a higher ground clearance which makes us think this is likely to be a crossover, given that the Urus is alive, well, and thriving.
Winkleman also stated that Lamborghini will build the car with the help of the “synergies of the Volkswagen Group like we already had with the Urus,” and this tells us that the Lambo EV is likely to use the VW Group’s SSP (Scalable Systems Platform), currently in development. With Lamborghini planning to retain its hybrid models, it would be a fresh breath of air to see a pure EV from them.
Is Lamborghini Losing Out In The EV Race?
Interestingly, Lambo’s first EV might just end up riding on a variation of Audi’s Artemis platform, which may also go into future Bentley EVs, including the electric replacement of the Mulsanne. The plans are grand and the Lambo EV is likely to be mind-blowing, but for a big if.
2028 is a long wait and somehow, for Lamborghini to wait so long to launch a purebred EV might cost them and not just in sales.
Most of the other luxury brands are already making the switch and many have launched rather fantastic EV hypercars. Newer companies like Rimac have EV hypercars like the Nevera with a 0-to-60 mph run of mind-freezing 1.85 seconds. BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz plans are already coming to fruition too. Add Tesla to the fray and even Ferrari is late with its 2025 EV offering. For Lamborghini to wait for another three years seems like a huge gamble for the brand.
The future of cars is electric, and hypercars are part of the same equation. Will the Lambo EV be too late in the EV day to make a difference? Time will tell…
Source: AutoNews
