Lamborghini Stays in the Fast Lane with Combustion Engines, Delays Full Shift to Electric Cars
Lamborghini’s chief executive Stephan Winkelmann has confirmed that the iconic Italian automaker will continue to produce cars with internal combustion engines for at least another decade, as demand for fully electric vehicles cools among luxury buyers.
Speaking to the BBC at Lamborghini’s London showroom, Winkelmann said the brand’s customers still crave “the sound and the emotion” of traditional engines – a sentiment steering the company toward hybrid technology rather than going fully electric.
Lamborghini will make a final decision in the coming month on whether its much-anticipated Lanzador model will debut as an all-electric vehicle or as a plug-in hybrid. The announcement follows reports that plans for a fully electric successor to its Urus SUV have been pushed back from 2029 to around 2035.
“We see a huge opportunity to stay with internal combustion engines and a battery system much longer than expected,” Winkelmann said, adding that enthusiasm for electric cars is “going down” among high-end customers.
Currently, Lamborghini’s lineup includes the Revuelto and Temerario supercars – both plug-in hybrids – and the Urus SUV, which is available as a hybrid or petrol model. The company also offers the limited-edition Fenomeno supercar, of which only 30 units will be produced at a base price of €3 million each.
While rival Ferrari plans to unveil its first all-electric car, the Elettrica, next year, Lamborghini is taking a different route. Winkelmann argued that as a low-volume manufacturer – selling around 10,000 cars globally each year – Lamborghini’s environmental impact remains minimal compared to the wider automotive industry.
“We are socially responsible,” he said, “but our CO₂ emissions make little difference in a world producing 80 million cars annually.”
With the European Union and the United Kingdom set to ban new petrol and diesel cars, including hybrids, by 2035, Lamborghini’s slower transition could still align with regulations, thanks to exemptions for low-volume manufacturers. For now, the roar of the Lamborghini engine seems destined to echo for years to come.
