8:11 am, October 15, 2022
The boss of Lamborghini says the firm needs to become more sustainable and warned against a ‘greenwash’ as it looks to go all-electric in the coming years.
Stephan Winkelmann, chairman and CEO of the Italian outfit, admitted the change represented a ‘major challenge’ but insisted it was one the company needed to take seriously.
He said that the firm could not afford to convey the impression of helping the environment while not actually making any real sustainable efforts.
This year marks the last time a Lamborghini will be launched without any electrification, as the as-yet-unnamed Aventador replacement will arrive with a plug-in hybrid, albeit one still featuring a V12, in 2023.
Then, in 2024, the Urus SUV will become hybrid-only.
At a similar time, the Huracan will be discontinued and replaced with a V8 plug-in hybrid model. It means that in just two years’ time, there won’t be a new Lamborghini on sale without electrification.
Winkelmann said: ‘I think it’s important we totally embrace it [electrification], as we have to be aware that the sustainable approach has to be credible and not greenwashing.
‘I strongly believe that Lamborghini is much more visible than the size of the company, and this is something we have to keep as an important issue in the future.
‘It is easy to point a finger at us, so that’s what we have to avoid. It’s more important what my neighbour thinks about me driving the car than I think myself. We need to be in front of the wave, we don’t want to be crushed by the wave.’
Although hybridisation will be integral to Lamborghini, its first EV isn’t due until near the end of the decade.
Winkelmann says this will be a ‘completely new car’ and ‘not a super-sports car’ along the lines of the Aventador and Huracan.
Instead, it will take the position of a Urus-sized ‘2+2 GT with more ground clearance’.
While Winkelmann is excited about this, he acknowledges that the ’emotional side’ of an EV is a problem – particularly when it comes to the noise aspect.
Asked what an electric Lamborghini will sound like, the former Bugatti boss said: ‘I’m not sure yet’.
The new electric crossover will mark the fourth Lamborghini in the line-up, but Winkelmann is clear he doesn’t want to expand the brand much more than that.
He added: ‘Four models are a good way of looking into the future.
‘We could do much more than that but we don’t want to, because balanced growth is paramount for our success in the future.’
