- Lamborghini says it’s not aiming for a purely electric sports car
- The Lanzador concept is parked for now
- Porsche is also considering a U-turn on electric sports cars
Stephan Winkelmann, chief executive of legendary Italian supercar maker Lamborghini, told reporters that the company was close to abandoning its all-electric supercar project due to low customer demand.
Revealed in 2023, the Lanzador concept was expected to result in an all-electric production model due to go on sale in 2028. The exotic 2+2 “ultra-GT” was supposed to feature two electric motors, one on each axle, which combined to produce “more than a megawatt of power”, or around 1,350 hp.
However, Winkelmann told the Sunday Times that the “acceptance curve” for battery cars among its customer base was becoming “close to zero”, hence the company’s plan to abandon the idea of a pure electric vehicle. He added that he views electric supercars as an “expensive hobby,” with little promise of return on investment.
Instead, the Lanzador should be replaced by a hybrid. Indeed, hybrid powertrains have proven a success story for the brand in recent years, with the Revuelto, Temerario and a plug-in version of the Urus all selling well, despite their exorbitant prices.
The decision to launch a fully electric supercar will undoubtedly be a blow to high-performance electric vehicles in general, as the news follows speculation that Porsche’s recently appointed CEO Michael Leiters is considering abandoning the purely electric 718 range of Boxster and Cayman sports cars.
The pair of cars have been in the works for years, and many electrification fans believe they could be among the first battery-powered sports cars to offer the coveted blend of performance, handling, balance and lightweight that only Porsche can deliver.
Despite the rumors surrounding Porsche, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told employees in an internal letter (via Autocar) that it will continue with its Concept C electric sports car, adding that the partnership “takes place within the framework of a good collaboration between the Porsche team and the Audi team.”
Analysis: the door is open to start-ups
With news that some of the biggest names in automotive are abandoning electric supercars, it remains for Audi and Ferrari, along with the upcoming Apple-designed Luce, to continue to fly the flag for this technology.
On top of that, it also opens the door for more niche names to surface and potentially become household names.
First there is Longbow, a British start-up founded by engineers who have worked with Tesla, Polestar, Lucid, BYD and many others. Its roofless Speedster weighs just 895kg and uses a single motor that sends 322hp to the rear wheels.
Thanks to its featherweight approach, it can manage 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and deliver a range of around 275 miles on a single charge. It’s also expected to go on sale for £84,995 (around $115,000 / AU$163,000), while a cheaper and heavier Roadster (see above) is expected to cost £64,995 (around $88,000 / AU$124,000).
Watt Electric is another UK company working on a lightweight electric platform that could potentially underpin the future affordable EV sports car. The PACES (Passenger And Commercial EV Skateboard) modular architecture has already given birth to a Porsche 356 lookalike in its Coupé concept (above).
The company also recently announced its partnership with Donut Lab to integrate its powerful and lightweight in-wheel motors into the EV platform in the near future.
Finally, while not exactly start-ups, niche hypercar brands also continue to push electric propulsion to the next level, with companies like Pininfarina introducing the world to the brutally fast Battista and Rimac Automobilli setting and breaking world records with the Nevera and Nevera R.
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