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In a radical reversal of its sustainability strategy, Lamborghini has announced that it is ditching plans to launch its first electric supercar. The Italian automaker is instead betting on hybrid vehicles following a slump in global EV sales that has seen companies like GM and Stellantis roll back their ambitious EV targets.
Lamborghini first announced plans to launch an electric supercar, the Lanzador, back in 2023, but since then the global EV landscape has shifted.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Lamborghini’s chief executive, Stephen Winkelmann, said the electric project ran the risk of being “an expensive hobby” for a brand favoured by wealthy consumers craving the buzz of a roaring combustion engine.
The luxury car market has historically lagged behind the mass-market segment when it comes to electrification, presenting a deep challenge for high-end automakers. Winkelmann described the appetite for electric vehicles among purchasers of supercars as “close to zero”.
Instead, Lamborghini has announced that it will pivot to focus on plug-in hybrids through 2030 and that it is committed to producing ICE vehicles for “as long as possible”.
The automaker described the decision as a response to shifts in the market, following a global resurgence in demand for hybrid models. Japanese automaker Toyota consolidated its position as the world’s best-selling automaker for the sixth year, following years of investment in hybrid vehicles. Toyota likely owes some of this success to its extensive hybrid lineup, featuring 19 hybrid models.
Lamborghini’s own hybridisation strategy “has been met with enthusiasm by Lamborghini customers across the globe,” according to Winkelmann.
The automaker delivered an impressive 10,747 vehicles globally last year alone. These impressive results were bolstered by sales of its Revuelto hybrid supercar, retailing at over £450,000. The automaker has also worked to deliver hybrid versions of several of its other lower-cost options, meaning Lamborghini now offers a hybrid version of every one of its ICE models.
This new trajectory represents a decisive shift from Lamborghini’s 2021 EV strategy, in which it pledged to deliver only hybrid and electric supercars by 2024, investing €1.5bn in building out its EV and hybrid lineup.
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