Lamborghini’s CEO has told The Times that developing battery-electric vehicles poses the risk of becoming an “expensive hobby” for the brand, and confirmed that the Lanzador electric model, planned for 2028, will no longer go into production. The project has been shelved before its market launch.
Instead of the Lanzador, Lamborghini will introduce a plug-in hybrid model. Combined with its other planned models, this means the entire range of the Italian Audi subsidiary will consist of plug-in hybrids by 2030. According to CEO Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini will continue to offer internal combustion engines “for as long as possible.”
The cancellation of the Lanzador is not solely due to the relaxation of CO₂ regulations in the EU Commission’s “auto package”, which could still permit a limited number of internal combustion engines after 2035, provided the proposal is adopted in its current form. Winkelmann also highlighted that the “acceptance curve” for battery-electric vehicles in Lamborghini’s target market is flattening. Customers, he explained, value the “emotional experience” of their Lamborghinis, which includes the sound and feel of the internal combustion engine. “EVs, in their current form, struggle to deliver this specific emotional connection,” Winkelmann stated.
Against this backdrop, the Lanzador project underwent an internal reassessment over the past year and was quietly discontinued towards the end of 2023. “The decision was made after over a year of continuous internal discussion, engaging with customers, dealers, market analysis and global data,” Winkelmann said. “Investing heavily in full-EV development when the market and customer base are not ready would be an expensive hobby, and financially irresponsible towards shareholders, customers [and] to our employees and their families.”
However, Winkelmann did not rule out future possibilities. When asked directly whether there would ever be a Lamborghini BEV, he replied: “Never say never, but only when the time is right. For the foreseeable future, only PHEVs. We will continue to develop electrification because we also need to be ready.”
