Lamborghini May Have Dodged A Ferrari-Sized EV Problem
Blessing in Disguise
What if Lamborghini didn't cancel its plans for an EV? We'll never know the real answer to that, but the company's CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, recently told CNBCit was the right call. That's following the reactions towards the newly unveiled Ferrari Luce, and let's just say the internet hasn't been too kind to Maranello's first EV.
Winkelmann once said that demand for an EV in the space Lamborghini occupies is 'close to zero,' the same space it shares with Ferrari. It's the reason why the Lanzador was canceled, and the CEO added that EVs "struggle to deliver this specific emotional connection." Had the electric Lambo pushed through, it seems that it could've received the same (scathing) comments that are currently being piled on the Luce. It's perhaps the biggest backlash we've seen against a car since the E65 BMW 7 Series.
Electrified, but not Full Electric
Winkelmann told CNBC that the shift towards plug-in hybrids was a huge step in itself. That said, he's thankful that customers have been receptive towards the Revuelto and Temerario. "Our decision to go from [traditional internal combustion engine] to plug-in was a very important one for us, and it worked out," said the Lamborghini boss.
In the exotic car market, one can say that experience and emotions - not logic - is the main selling point. Winkelmann is well aware of that, hence Lamborghini's commitment to producing combustion-powered vehicles until regulations ultimately force these out, if ever that happens. Canceling plans for the Lanzador and a full electric Urus was, in his words, "the right way to go," and "every brand, every company has to decide for themselves."
Lamborghini does have the benefit of being under the Volkswagen Group's wing. The brands it owns produce a whole load of EVs, more than enough to offset the carbon footprint produced by the cars from Sant'Agata Bolognese.
At the Right Time
"We saw that the acceptance curve [of EVs] for our type of customers is not increasing, and that therefore we decided to move away from a full-electric car into a plug-in hybrid," said Winkelmann. He also implied to CNBC that pushing for full EVs for the sake of innovation or regulation is far from ideal.
Lamborghini isn't closed off to the idea of building an EV someday, but now isn't the right time. We can't say for sure whether the stillborn Lanzador would have received the same amount of hate, but given the lack of demand for electric exotics, the company would have stood to lose more had it sold it today. As for Ferrari's case, perhaps there would be less of a negative reaction if it looked like a more traditional model, but that's just us.
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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 10:43 AM.