Lamborghini drops all-electric supercar plan

Lamborghini has shelved plans to launch an all-electric supercar and will pivot to plug-in hybrids instead, citing weak demand among its core buyers. The Guardian reports CEO Stephan Winkelmann saying the “acceptance curve” for battery-only sports cars is “close to zero,” after the company showcased its electric Lanzador concept in 2023.

The reversal is a reminder that electrification looks different when customers are not price-sensitive but are highly preference-sensitive. Lamborghini’s buyers can afford an EV; what they appear less willing to buy is a supercar that trades sound, refuelling speed, and long-distance usability for batteries and charging stops. Winkelmann told the Sunday Times that full-EV development risked becoming “an expensive hobby,” language that points to the balance-sheet problem: a niche manufacturer can burn billions on bespoke platforms and battery integration, then discover the unit volumes are too low to amortise the investment.

Hybrids, by contrast, let carmakers hedge. A plug-in hybrid keeps the internal-combustion experience that defines the brand while adding electric torque where it sells—launch acceleration and low-speed drivability—without forcing the company to bet the entire product line on charging infrastructure and battery supply chains. It also spreads regulatory risk: if emissions rules tighten, the electric range can be emphasised; if customers resist, the combustion engine remains the hero feature.

Lamborghini’s own numbers underline the commercial logic. The company delivered a record 10,747 cars in 2025 and said results were boosted by demand for the Revuelto hybrid and the plug-in hybrid Urus SUV, with prices starting around £450,000 and £210,000 respectively, according to the Guardian. The hybrid Temerario joined the range last year, meaning every model now has a hybrid variant.

The decision ripples beyond one luxury marque. Suppliers building capacity for high-end battery packs, power electronics, and dedicated EV architectures depend on automakers committing to volumes years in advance. When a brand at the top of the pricing pyramid hesitates, it signals that the constraint is not affordability but product-market fit—an uncomfortable message for policymakers who have treated electrification timelines as something that can be legislated into existence.

Lamborghini says it will keep combustion engines “as long as possible,” while planning an all plug-in hybrid lineup by 2030.

The company spent years marketing an electric future; it is now selling the compromise that its customers are already buying.