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The Italian car manufacturer Lamborghini, a subsidiary of the German Volkswagen group, hopes to be able to market thermal engine cars beyond the end of this decade. So said Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini, in an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
Winkelmann stressed that he was counting on climate-neutral fuels, which are expected to hit the market soon.
Waiting
“After the era of hybrid engines, we will wait to see if it is possible to bring vehicles with an internal combustion engine to market even after the end of this decade,” Winkelmann said.
“It is possible that the use of synthetic fuels could offer possibilities in this regard. Over the next few years, Lamborghini will release hybrid versions of its Aventador, Huracán and Urus models.
Porsche, another subsidiary of the VW Group, has already explored the production of climate-neutral synthetic fuel on an industrial scale with a number of other companies. The focus was on wind energy.
Mr. Winkelmann recently announced that Lamborghini plans to launch its first all-electric model before the end of the decade. The director was thus shown to be a little more cautious than in the past, when it came to the second half of this decade.
Sports performance
Lamborghini – like its industry counterparts such as Ferrari, Aston Martin and McLaren – is grappling with the question of how to evolve its range towards electric mobility without touching the sporty performance that appeals to its traditional audience.
“We assume that our customers will accept cars with more durable driving, provided the cars are superior to previous generations in terms of performance. The combination with an electric motor gives the cars greater power, combined with lower emission values. »
Winkelmann added that Lamborghini’s first all-electric model will be aimed more at everyday driving than the supercars in its current portfolio. He mentioned a Gran Turismo with four seats. The car would also be slightly lower on the road.
“We assume that at that point issues such as charging time and battery life will no longer have a dominant impact on the purchase decision,” the top executive said. “We can then give the car the characteristics that belong to a Lamborghini. »