Lamborghini may now have an entirely plug-in hybrid lineup, but it’s been more hesitant than most to dip its toes into the world of fully electric cars. That currently looks like a smart move given buyer unwillingness to accept high-end performance electric cars, and that weak market has now led Lamborghini to officially pull the plug on its first planned electric car, the Lanzador.
Previewed by 2023’s concept, the Lanzador was to be a curious high-riding 2+2 coupe/SUV mashup, and was initially slated to go into production in 2028. That date was later pushed back a year, before the decision to launch it as a full EV was put under review in 2025. Now, speaking to the Sunday Times, Lambo’s CEO Stephan Winkelmann has confirmed that the production Lanzador won’t see the light of day, at least as a full EV.
Demand ‘Close to Zero’
Lamborghini
The past couple of years have not been kind to manufacturers of high-end, performance-biased electric cars, a segment the Lanzador would unquestionably have fallen into. In the Sunday Times interview, Winkelmann said that developing the car risked becoming “an expensive hobby” for the company given that demand for full EVs in its target market is currently “close to zero.
“EVs… struggle to deliver this specific emotional connection,” he went on to say, citing that the noise of a big combustion engine is still core to the appeal of a Lamborghini.
More PHEVs on The Way
Lamborghini
A fourth model in the Lamborghini range is still on the way – possibly still a version of the Lanzador – but like the Revuelto, Temerario and Urus SE, it’ll now be a plug-in hybrid, a setup that’ll continue to underpin the Lamborghini range “for the foreseeable future.” Winkelmann also ruled out an electric version of the Urus.
He did go on to say “never say never” as to whether there would ever be a fully electric Lamborghini, but for as long as regulations allow, the company will continue to produce gas-powered cars.
The Latest Victim of Low Demand
Lamborghini
The Lanzador EV is far from the first electric performance car to be DOA as a result of weak demand. Last year, Maserati cancelled the planned Folgore EV version of the MC20 (now MCPura) supercar, and there are said to be serious discussions inside Porsche as to whether the electric 718 Cayman and Boxster will see the light of day. The range-topping electric Banshee version of the new Dodge Charger is reportedly dead too.
Not every company is being so cautious, though. Ferrari is nearly ready to reveal its first electric car, the Luce, and despite the rumors around the Porsche 718 EV’s cancellation, Audi maintains that a production version of the Concept C, due to share the same platform, is still in the works. An electric successor to the Lexus LFA is currently in the works, too. It remains to be seen whether these companies’ boldness or the caution exercised by the likes of Lambo will be the better move in the long run.
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