The house of the raging bull is selling more cars than it can build. In fact, its popularity is allowing Lamborghini to branch out into unknown territory. By 2028 it plans to launch its first all-electric flagship supercar and CEO Stephan Winkelmann has given us some idea of how it will stand out without a sound.
Responding to a question during an interview with ABC about how the Italian automaker plans to address complaints about EVs not feeling mechanical and enjoyable as gas-powered models, Winkelmann laid out how Lamborghini plans to separate itself.
“What makes a Lamborghini a Lamborghini is the design, the performance in terms of naked numbers – lap times, top speed, acceleration – and perceived performance, or how much emotion you experience when you drive our cars,” said the company’s CEO. “Normally electric cars are very good at longitudinal acceleration but they’re not very pleasant to drive – i.e. cornering, braking behavior, the reaction on the steering wheel. This is something we have to prove and we’re working on this before the first electric car comes to market from Lamborghini.”
Read: Everything We Know About Lamborghini’s New V12 Hybrid Supercar
We’ve surmised in the past about how hard it’ll be for companies like Lamborghini to stand out in a sea of EVs that can all do 0-60 in less than 3 seconds. It sounds to us like they at least have a good idea of how vital it is to maintain performance beyond straight-line speed.
Early next year, the Aventador’s replacement will arrive. It will do so with a hybridized powertrain and what is likely the very last Lamborghini V12. It’s going to be a special car regardless of what it looks like, what it’s named, or how well it actually performs, and to that end, Winkelmann says that it’s already taken nearly 3,000 preorders.
Winkelmann noted that such a high figure, considering that very few people have actually seen the car, indicates good things. “[Customers] really believe we’re doing the right thing, which is a positive sign,” he said. Quite simply, high demand has allowed the company to try things like the upcoming Huracan Sterrato and be the first supercar company with an entirely hybridized lineup, a goal it plans to reach by 2024.