Lamborghini Lanzador Production Model To Be A Plug-In Hybrid

It’s been three years since Lamborghini unveiled the Lanzador concept at Monterey Car Week. The two-door, four-seat GT was billed as the brand’s first model without an internal combustion engine. It has now been confirmed that the production version, which is expected by the end of the decade, will still have a plug-in hybrid drive.

CEO Stephan Winkelmann recently stated that the switch to plug-in hybrid is “the right way to go”, and now he has confirmed that customers agree. Speaking to CarBuzz during this year’s Monterey Car Week, Winkelmann explained that customers support the plan change.

“The decision to make the Lanzador a plug-in hybrid, instead of a fully electric model, turned out to be the right one. Customers have accepted it very well and are very satisfied.”

Winkelmann has previously spoken openly about the low interest in electric cars. He pointed out that there is almost no demand for an all-electric Lamborghini and called such projects an “expensive hobby”. For the same reasons, the second generation Urus will not be exclusively electric, but, like the current SUV, will use a plug-in hybrid drive.

The technical specifications of the future model have not yet been announced, but it is expected that the Lanzador will use some of the existing hybrid technology. For comparison, the new Urus SE Performante combines a 4.0-liter V8 engine with two turbochargers and an electric motor, and the system develops a total of 800 horsepower and 1,000 Nm of torque.

However, implementing such a solution will not be simple. The Lanzador was originally designed as a fully electric car, so the integration of a hybrid system with an internal combustion engine will be technically demanding. Since production is only a few years away, Lamborghini has time to adapt the platform.

Changing the plan for Lanzador from electric to hybrid drive is a rare example of a manufacturer that took into account the opinion of customers before investing in a product for which they have no interest. Although Lamborghini can produce an extremely fast car, it would be significantly more difficult to attract traditional customers, accustomed to large displacement engines, to an all-electric model.

The plug-in hybrid is a solution that allows Lamborghini to meet increasingly strict environmental standards, but also to keep the petrol engine, which is crucial for its customers. Thus, the fourth model in the offer joins the hybrid strategy already followed by the Urus, Temerario and Revuelto models.

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