CEO claims that there's "close to zero" interest in an electric Lamborghini; pivots to plug-in hybrid instead.
Lamborghini has announced that it's much-anticipated fourth model will no longer be an electric vehicle. Due to debut in 2029, the project, widely expected to carry the Lanzador badge, will now be powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Speaking at a media round table recently, Lamborghini CEO, Stefan Winkelmann confirmed that the new vehicle would join the existing Urus SUV and the mid-engined Revuelto and Temerario supercars to form a quartet of plug-in Lamborghini plug-in products.
It follows an extended period of walking back on customer expectations around a fully electric Lamborghini. First mooted in 2023, the electric Lanzador was a handsome, if slightly high riding two-plus-two concept, but by late 2024 Winkelmann was already claiming that the market would not be ready for such a vehicle in 2028.
Now he's claiming it may never be ready.
“We are not selling mobility. You don’t buy a Lamborghini because you have to go from A to B every day. We’re selling dream cars, which maybe is something you wanted since you were a child: a dream of many and the reality of a few,” he explained.
“Therefore, we decided our fourth model, which is going to be a Gran Turismo, is going to be a plug-in hybrid. So we will not have an electric vehicle in the foreseeable future,” he reiterated.
This walk-back follows the decision of VW Group partner Porsche in stepping back from its commitment to electric drivetrains.
“This decision is the decision we have taken by looking very carefully [at] what is happening around the globe, geopolitical situations, political decisions," he said.
It follows an increased push back from car manufacturers against legislative changes that have left them floundering. This manifests in a pull rather than a push model of supply, with response to demand rather than command.
“We have to be aware of the fact that we have to deliver what our customers desire," Winkelmann confirmed. "We don’t see in the short and medium term any change to this way of thinking, so this is the decision we took – and this is what we are going to do with the fourth model."
Winkelmann confirmed to The Guardian that the “acceptance curve” for battery-powered Lamborghinis among its client base was “close to zero” and that EVs had failed to find a “specific emotional connection” with customers due to the lack of traditional sports car qualities such as noise and a mechanical connection with the car.
By retaining internal combustion engines, aided with electrical assistance, Lamborghini gets to satisfy customers looking for that emotional connection while still driving down its aggregated emissions.
The only luxury super sports car manufacturer to offer an entirely hybridised range, Lamborghini set a record for deliveries in 2025, with 10,747 cars shipped.
Andy brings almost 30 years automotive writing experience to his role at Drive. When he wasn’t showing people which way the Nürburgring went, he freelanced for outlets such as Car, Autocar, and The Times. After contributing to Top Gear Australia, Andy subsequently moved Down Under, serving as editor at MOTOR and Wheels. As Drive’s Road Test Editor, he’s at the heart of our vehicle testing, but also loves to spin a long-form yarn.
