Lamborghini says electric super cars unlikely yet

A plug-in hybrid Urus SUV expected to be revealed within 18 months is about all Lamborghini has on offer in electrics.

The Italian car maker did unveil its first hybrid in 2014, the Asterion LPI 910-4 concept car which combined electric motors with a V10, but this was shelved in favour of the Urus.

The hybrid Urus is expected to borrow heavily from the Porsche Cayenne Turbo SE-Hybrid powertrain (a twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor).

Lamborghini is toying with all-electric concept, the Terzo Millennio, under a three-year partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop a battery suitable for an EV super sports car.

The Terzo Millennio aims to store its energy in body panels and other parts, essentially becoming the battery rather than containing a battery pack.

Lamborghini will consider the case for an EV after tests finish next year.

Battery technology isn’t good enough yet, Lamborghini chief technical officer Maurizio Reggiani told the Automotive News Europe Congress from June 5-6, featuring the international launch of the Urus.

He says a suitable pack should allow a super car to do more than 300km/h and complete three laps of the Nurburgring race circuit in Germany.

Another reason for Lamborghini balking at an electric super car is the lack of engine sound. That’s something it is testing people’s perceptions on to determine if an electric should have a more audible note.