Yahoo Finance The new Lamborghini Revuelto supercar: ‘everybody was trying to put an order in'
Lamborghini’s electric push starts now with a new plug-in, hybrid-electric supercar.
The Italian luxury automaker recently revealed its creation, the Revuelto, which will replace the Aventador at the top of the Lamborghini product range. A first for Lamborghini, the car will feature a plug-in hybrid electric powertrain paired to an all-new V-12 engine. The V-12 engine, along with three electric motors (two up front at each wheel, the other positioned above the gearbox), will output an astounding 1,001 horsepower.
At the same time, the car will deliver more power—and cut C02 emissions by 30%, compared to the V12 Aventador, which is being retired.
The Revuelto will also feature “electric torque vectoring” for better handling. Plus: a four-wheel drive is also available in pure-electric mode, where the car will have 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles, of pure-electric range (a 3.8 kWh lithium-ion battery is onboard).
For Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann, it’s not the range that matters, but the performance. And, of course, reducing emissions.
“First of all, when we do hybrid cars or, and this is starting now with the Lamborghini Revuelto, there's one clear promise we are giving to our customers and that this generation is better performing than the generation before,” Winkelmann said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. (Video above)
“But on top of that," he added, "it has to be much more sustainable. These are the two promises we have to keep; we cannot do one without the other.”
The combination of better performance, and a new-and-improved carbon footprint, is resonating for Lamborghini’s affluent clientele, Winkelmann said.
“We presented the car yesterday as a world premiere. We had a lot of customers from all around the globe and the reception was phenomenal — everybody was trying to put an order in,” he said. “We have already the next couple of years of production covered with orders.”
Indeed, business has been good, even before the Revuelto’s debut. After back to back record years in 2021 and 2022, Winkelmann said 2023 is looking strong too, with an order book stretching out 18 to 24 months. Lamborghini’s factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese has increased production, and Winkelmann is hoping to bring down wait times to around 12 to 18 months.
Lamborghini's electrification plan, and the future of e-fuels
As for Lamborghini’s Direzione Cor Tauri electrification strategy, the release of the Revuelto is a first step. The company will debut its first all-electric car in 2028, which will be a GT-style vehicle that can seat four, Winkelmann said. Another EV will follow, likely an SUV, before 2030.
During our interview, the Lamborghini CEO also delved into e-fuels. The E.U. legislators gave a carve out for the carbon neutral fuels that, in essence, allow gas-powered cars to be sold beyond the 2035 mandated cut-off. (Germany and its automakers like Porsche fought hard for the e-fuels carve out.)
But Winkelmann is sanguine about e-fuel prospects.
“I see that synthetic fuel is going to be likely more for ships and airplanes from the [2030s], and I doubt that there will be a popularity for it like today," Winkelmann said. The optimal approach: pursue a fully-electric strategy in stages, because that’s where the industry, and government are headed. He calls it the “new normal” for the auto industry.
As for the here and now, the new Revuelto will bridge the gap between gas-powered supercars, and an electric future. For those lucky enough to afford a Revuelto, Winkelmann said production will begin in the second half of 2023, with deliveries starting year-end.
Price? To be announced.
Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.
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