Lamborghini's first EV 'perfectly matches the DNA' of the brand, CEO says

MONTEREY, Calif. — Italian exotic carmaker Lamborghini made a splash at this year’s Monterey Car Week, debuting its first-ever EV years ahead of schedule.

The Lamborghini Lanzador concept is what the company is calling a "high ground-clearance GT," featuring a 2+2 seating format, but with only two doors. The Lanzador seems similar in footprint to the Urus SUV, though more coupe or sedan-like in presence and footprint. The Lanzador, part of Lamborghini’s Direzione Cor Tauri electrification strategy, is slated for 2028, and thus it was a surprise for many that Lamborghini is debuting the model so far in advance of its actual release.

"When you are in a super sports car company like Lamborghini, you have to see what is missing in the lineup," Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann says in an interview with Yahoo Finance from the Quail event during Monterey Car Week. "So with two super sports cars and one super sports SUV, it's important for us to have what we were doing over decades — GT cars — this is what is missing. And I think this is perfectly matching with the DNA of Lamborghini."

However, when most people think of high ground-clearance cars with two rows of seats, typically a four- door car comes to mind. Not for Lamborghini in this case, as the brand wants to maintain that air of sportiness. Winklemann says the combination of the high ground clearance and sporty two door look is "the best out of two worlds" for the brand design-wise.

In terms of powertrain, Lamborghini says the Lanzador features an electric motor on each axle to provide an all-electric drive setup, which can, in certain conditions, provide peak power of over one megawatt, equivalent to over 1,000 horsepower. The all-wheel drive system also has active e-torque vectoring on the rear axle, meaning power can be focused left to right on the rear axle, providing for more "dynamic cornering behavior," the company says.

As mentioned above, exterior-wise the car is quite different than other Lamborghinis, though its relationship to the newly re-introduced Countach and current Urus SUV is apparent. Lamborghini head of design Mitja Borkert said the Lanzador was inspired by "spaceships," and the heavy forward-look of the cabin and sharp lines and creases give it the look of an alien python from another dimension.

Inside features Lamborghini’s jet fighter-like cockpit design, with hard angles and a swath of differing textures and materials. Lamborghini says the interior will come appointed in sustainably sourced leather, 100% merino wool, which is essentially 100% renewable, regenerated carbon, and recycled plastic.

Since this is still a concept that will likely be heavily similar to the production model coming out in a few years, Lamborghini did not provide pricing or exact timing of availability, but the company says a 2028 debut of the production model is planned.

Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.

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