We may not see any Lamborghini electric vehicles for a while, despite previous goals to become an all-electric automaker.

Lamborghini’s CEO just threw cold water on the idea of going all-electric anytime soon. Stephan Winkelmann says their customers still crave the sound and fury of combustion engines, and the Italian supercar maker plans to keep using them for at least another decade. They’ve shelved an electric version of the Urus SUV until 2035 and might turn their planned all-electric Lanzador (GT) into a plug-in hybrid instead. It’s a sharp contrast to Ferrari, which is pushing ahead with its first electric car. Winkelmann argues that since Lamborghini only sells 10,000 cars a year in a world producing 80 million vehicles, their environmental impact is minimal anyway.

The luxury sports car market is a different animal

High-end sports cars and SUVs, like the Lamborghini Urus, are built and sold in such small numbers compared to the mainstream automotive market that Winkelmann might be right. With only 10,000 cars sold per year, Lamborghini probably doesn’t need to transition to all-electric models for the future, but this could eventually be a requirement. When considering automakers that build in these quantities, it’s important to remember they build vehicles for the entire world, not just a few markets.

Lamborghini electric vehicles wouldn’t have the same feeling

As much as some automakers attempt to convince the world that electric vehicles can have the same engagement and emotional connection through the sound and feel of driving as an internal combustion engine, that’s simply not the case. This could mean Lamborghini will have at least one combustion engine vehicle for many years into the future and eventually begin to lean into the electric vehicle enthusiasm when necessary. For now, the brand will continue to offer gas-powered supercars and look to add plug-in hybrid supercars to the mix, which offer the benefits of additional power and improved performance thanks to the addition of electric motors.

The Lanzador hasn’t been figured out yet

The new Lanzador was supposed to be the first of the Lamborghini electric vehicles to reach the market, but that could be on hold for now. It might not arrive as an EV, especially with this change of direction. Instead, the Lanzador might be a PHEV, which would make it an interesting and exciting hybrid hypercar. Currently, Lamborghini only has three model platforms on the market, which is pretty normal for the automaker. The Temerario and Revuelto are the supercars and are both PHEV models, meaning the new Lanzador would fit into the mix pretty easily. The third vehicle in the Lamborghini lineup is the Urus SUV, which is the sales volume leader for the brand.

Yes, there’s a limited model among the Lamborghini supercars

The three main models do not include the extremely limited Fenomeno, which is limited to only 30 models being built. This car is impressive and powerful, offering a top speed that exceeds 215 MPH, but its small production numbers mean it’s not part of the main line of Lamborghini vehicles on the market.

The Lamborghini vs Ferrari strategy concerning EVs

Lamborghini electric vehicles have been shelved for now while Ferrari continues to push forward with its plans to build EV models for the future. In addition to plans for the Lanzador to be an electric supercar, the Urus was to have an all-electric successor beginning in 2029, but those plans have been shelved. The brand doesn’t expect to build any EVs before 2035. By then, the Volkswagen Group might have cracked the code for solid-state batteries, or electric vehicles might not be part of the mix any longer; it’s hard to tell which direction things will go.

“We still need to decide whether we are going full electric, the decision we took some years ago, or seeing whether in the new environment this should also be a plug-in hybrid. Today, enthusiasm for electric cars is going down. We see a huge opportunity to stay with internal combustion engines and a battery system much longer than expected.”

– Stephan Winkelmann

Winkelmann might have a point

Building only 10,000 cars in a world that produces more than 80 million vehicles per year means Lamborghini has an extremely small environmental impact compared to brands like Ford, GM, Toyota, and BMW. Will we ever see Lamborghini electric vehicles on the road? The answer lies in the future, which is uncertain for everyone. For now, the bullish brand will continue to rage on with fiery combustion engines charging hard while providing the emotional sounds that drivers love to hear.