Boss Argues Combustion Engine Viable with e-Fuel Increase
In 2014, Lamborghini took a hesitant first step into the realm of electric mobility with the introduction of its Asterion hybrid concept. It wasn’t until earlier this year, however, that their first plug-in hybrid vehicle was released onto the market. The V12 powered Revuelto will be followed up next year by the successor to the Huracan and an updated version of the Urus, both boasting not only a combustion engine but also a charging port. Finally, in 2028, the all-electric Lanzador will see the light of day, shortly followed in 2029 by a second generation Urus, strictly available as an EV.
What becomes of the supercars from Lamborghini is yet to be determined. Speaking with Autocar, Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson Stephan Winkelmann commented that the famed Italian carmaker can delay deciding for a few more years to observe if synthetic fuel can revive the classical engine or not. Yet, there are some distinguished doubts; whether governing powers worldwide will accept e-fuels, coupled with the instance of quickly augmenting output to coincide with requirement, remains undiscovered.
The 59-year-old executive asserted that it “would be an easier leap for us” to persist with the internal combustion engine and power it with synthetic fuels, rather than installing electric motors and a battery pack. He is of the opinion that eventually, performance-oriented EVs will be more nimble than equivalent ICE models due to the enhanced energy density of batteries. This would make the battery packs smaller and less weighty.
Although the second-generation Urus and the production-ready Lanzador will be exclusively sold as electric vehicles, Lamborghini is in no rush to replace the combustion engine in its sports cars. Winkelmann advanced the idea that overall it is more beneficial in regards to reducing emissions to focus on making e-fuel scalable given his conviction that billions of cars running with Internal Combustion Engines will still exist twenty years from now.
The frontman openly confessed Lamborghini won’t be the pioneers of the electric supercar revolution. Nevertheless, when eventually furnishing a powerful electrical vehicle, Winkelmann insisted theirs will outshine any other. Unfortunately, don’t anticipate that happening any time quickly as both the successor to the Revuelto and Huracan have an expected life cycle of approximately 9 years, taking us up to 2030 or and beyond.
Source: Autocar
