Lamborghini Delays Full-Electric Future as Wealthy Buyers Lose Interest in EVs
Lamborghini says it will keep using roaring petrol engines for at least another 10 years, as demand for fully electric supercars cools among wealthy buyers. Speaking to the BBC in London, CEO Stephan Winkelmann said customers still want “the sound and the emotion” of internal combustion engines, and that hybrids will remain the brand’s main path for now.
The Italian supercar maker — owned by Volkswagen Group — is reviewing whether its next flagship model, the Lanzador, will still launch as a pure EV or shift to a plug-in hybrid instead. A decision will be made within a month.
Hybrid stays, electric slips
Today Lamborghini sells three core models:
- Revuelto & Temerario — plug-in hybrid supercars
- Urus — sold as both a plug-in hybrid and petrol SUV
- Fenomeno — €3m limited-run hypercar, 30 units only
The company had earlier promised an all-electric successor to the Urus by 2029 — but that launch is now pushed back to 2035. The planned fully electric Lanzador GT is also under review due to weakening EV enthusiasm at the luxury end of the market.
Winkelmann said the shift was not about ignoring climate goals, but about demand reality:
“We sell 10,000 cars in a world that produces 80 million a year — our impact is limited.”
Ferrari takes a different road
Rival Ferrari is pushing ahead with its first electric car, the Elettrica, due to be unveiled next year, alongside its hybrid and combustion models.
Regulation gives Lamborghini more time
From 2035, the EU and UK plan to ban new petrol and hybrid car sales. But:
- Low-volume brands like Lamborghini are exempt in the UK
- In the EU, lobbying is intense to delay the deadline
If delays go through, combustion engines could remain legal beyond 2035 — aligning with Lamborghini’s stated timeline.
