Automobili Lamborghini is an Italian car manufacturing brand that needs no introduction. It has gained umpteen amounts of popularity by making some of the most stylish, flamboyant, and aggressive-looking cars that demand a second look with a certain authority. Not only do all of their cars look so great and mean, but they all are a pleasure to the ears as well. Whether it is the 4.0-Liter V8 in the Urus, the 5.2-Liter V10 in the Huracan, or the 6.5-Liter V12 in the Aventador, the engines only keep sounding even better and better with every new model that they come up with. Be that as it may, the cars are not exactly environment-friendly if we are being honest. And these days, every major car manufacturer either has gone all-electrical or is planning to go in that route heading forward.
In the case of Lamborghini, they do not have electric but hybrid models present in their lineup with the Asterion and the more recent Sian. In terms of an EV, their main rival Ferrari is slightly ahead as they have already announced that their first battery-electric vehicle will be unveiled in 2025. But Lamborghini is known for delivering unexpectedly great performing cars, even their motto says, “Expect the unexpected”. What are they planning to do in the future? Let’s find out more below.
The CEO’s Announcement
On 18th May 2021, Stephan Winkelmann, the CEO of Lamborghini announced a roadmap for this decade called ‘Direzione Cor Tauri’ stating that we will find an electric motor inside all Lambo models by 2024. However, this doesn’t mean that they are getting rid of the internal combustion engine anytime soon. All their cars will be plug-in hybrids with both IC engine and electric motors by 2024 according to Winkelmann.
One of the biggest challenges that car manufacturers have to face these days is regarding CO2 emissions. To tackle this issue, manufacturers either need to make a small car with lower engine displacement or make an electric one. And making a slower, smaller car is the opposite of what a Lamborghini personifies. So, it is understandable that they had to make the transition to electric vehicles.
Lamborghini's Plan for this Decade
According to the roadmap that Lamborghini provided, it seems like their plan to transition toward the electric lineup is threefold. In the first phase, they will focus on their internal combustion engine vehicles and develop two more models with a V12 engine in 2021 and 2022. In the second phase, they will start implementing electric motors in their production cars. Then by 2023, we will see Lamborghini’s first hybrid series production car, and by the end of 2024, their entire range will have an electric motor alongside the traditional engine. According to Winkelmann, performance and the authentic Lamborghini driving experience will remain the focus of the company’s engineers and technicians.
They will also utilize carbon fiber materials in their cars to negate the additional weight added by the electric components. The company’s main goal for Phase 2 is to reduce overall CO2 emissions from their vehicles by 50% by the end of 2024. And for that, Lamborghini is investing $1.8 billion over the course of these four years. The 3rd phase of this plan will see Lambo’s first fully electric vehicle. They said that the second part of the decade (2025-2030) will be dedicated to developing 100% electric vehicles in their lineup. But still, they assure us that the aspect of remarkable performance and memorable driving experience will be their first priority.
The Terzo Millennio Project
Lamborghini has teamed up with MIT to develop the concept of the Terzo Millennio, a sneak peek of what a fully electric Lamborghini supercar would look like. The entire point is to visualize a supercar not from the subsequent generation, but the generation at the moment. It focuses on five distinct areas: energy storage, materials, propulsion, design, and emotion. It has four electric motors, one in each wheel, which allows more freedom in design by hiding the electrical stuff inside the wheel wells. As for energy storage, Lamborghini eschewed the standard batteries and instead focused on supercapacitors, which might deliver charge faster than batteries can, while withstanding numerous charge cycles and featuring storage capacities much above standard capacitors.
Lamborghini currently uses supercapacitors to power the stop-start system of the Aventador. Speaking of holding charges, the materials utilized in the Terzo Millennio do keep the car rigid. Lamborghini and MIT are researching using the car's carbon-fiber body as an energy data-storage medium, turning the full body into a battery of sorts. That technology may also be accustomed to monitoring the car's carbon-fiber structure. If small cracks develop, the charge may move through the body differently, which may kick-start a "self-repairing" process to stop the cracks from growing. The design is what we expect from a Lambo. Sharp angles and downforce generating air channels all over the car. There will be no engine/drivetrain, so the cabin is pushed forward closer to the front bumper. In terms of emotion, I think Lamborghini refers to the avoidance of an automatic car without any soul. There is some automation, but it helps the drivers rather than replacing them.
The idea of an electric Lambo surely sounds weird in our minds, and it will take some time to let that settle in and feel normal about it. Hence, the plan of slowly transitioning to electric via hybrid powertrain seems to be a better idea than coming up with an EV out of the blue. Especially considering that the company in question is Lamborghini, a company with a rich history of making some of the most important IC-engined supercars like the Countach and the Gallardo. But we understand why folks at Lamborghini have planned to do this, and we definitely appreciate how they are planning to do it. However, cheesy or corny it may sound, the world indeed is changing, and it is cardinal to change with it. Automobili Lamborghini has proven itself as one of the best in the market of supercars, and now we all will be eagerly waiting to see what they do in the supercar EV category.