Lamborghini not yet ready for EV

WHILE many manufacturers have outlined a clear path towards future electrification, legendary supercar manufacturer Lamborghini is in no rush to make the change to electric powertrains, stating the technology will have to match the brand’s goals first.

Speaking to local journalists, Lamborghini Asia-Pacific regional director Franceso Scardaoni said the brand is not yet ready to produce its own EV model, as current technology does not match the specific needs of the Raging Bull brand.

“For a brand like Lamborghini, we need to make sure that we have to be able to transplant our DNA into the new generation, into electrification,” he said.

“And of course it’s not easy, because with this mega-trend of electrification it’s also … constrains of design, weight and also emotion.

“So it’s really important that we are really sure that when we will think about our new products, we can still have our DNA 100 per cent represented in the car. So our style, our design, our performance, handling and of course our emotions.”

The trend of quiet EV powertrains with soft, smooth edges is at odds with Lamborghini’s portfolio, characterised by sharp, aggressive designs, and high-revving, screaming petrol engines that are quickly becoming harder to make compatible with emissions regulations.

As a member of the Volkswagen Group, Lamborghini would have access to significant resources in the world of EVs, with Group members Audi and Porsche developing their own dedicated EVs.

The latter has recently introduced the Taycan, topped by the Turbo S variant, which produces a massive 560kW/1050Nm allowing for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 2.8 seconds.

However the lack of aural excitement and the increased kerb weight (2295kg on the Taycan Turbo S) are sticking points for the Raging Bull, which Mr Scardaoni said would dilute the essence of the brand.

“The main constraints for a manufacturer, of course a super-sport manufacturer like Lamborghini, is to be able to have the imprint of Lamborghini in this new world, in this new trend of electrification which is not easy in terms of battery, packaging and in terms of design,” he said.

“Today we don’t see that a pure-electric powertrain can fit 1:1 the DNA of Lamborghini in terms of driving emotion, in terms of handling, in terms of the requirements of our customers.”

Mr Scardaoni indicated that hybridisation could be a halfway solution, with Lamborghini having first introduced electrified technology in a production car with the Sian.

“We might think that there is an intermediate solution that can maybe be hybridisation,” he said.

“Hybridisation of course is also an interesting trend, but again the important thing is to understand how to make our customers keep dreaming of our super-sportscars, continuing to develop the super-sportscars with a level of technology, innovation and driving emotion that can in any case fit those requirements in terms of homologation.”

While most manufacturers have taken the direction of turbocharging and downsizing with internal-combustion engines, Lamborghini has kept its formula of large, free-breathing petrol mills in its coupe range.

When asked about the future of the 5.2-litre V10 underpinning the Huracan, Mr Scardaoni said the brand was able to keep its old-school recipe through extensive R&D.

“I can tell you that Lamborghini invests a lot in research and development on the powertrain. So with our engines, Lamborghini is the last manufacturer today to use a naturally aspirated engine,” he said.

“And you can imagine that it’s not easy because the world is going towards stricter and stricter regulation in terms of emission.”

He cited start-stop and cylinder deactivation technologies, as well as changes including combustion chamber refinement that have allowed the big-bore V10 to last as long as it has.

“All those improvements allowed us to pass really strict regulations (recently introduced in China),” he said.

“So we are able as of today to comply with those regulations. Of course we know that in the future, countries will require even stricter regulation so we need to be open and invest even more in new technologies.”