Cancelled Lamborghini Lanzador EV concept, now to be a plug-in hybrid |Source: Lamborghini
Lamborghini has cancelled its first fully electric model, the Lanzador, and will launch it as a plug-in hybrid instead. CEO Stephan Winkelmann says demand for electric Lamborghinis is “close to zero,” prompting a late-stage strategy shift. The high-riding coupe, once set to become the brand’s most powerful car, will now arrive in 2029 as part of an all-hybrid lineup rather than leading a full-EV push.
Stephan Winkelmann Says Buyers Don’t Want a Full-Electric Lamborghini
In 2023, Lamborghini showed the Lanzador concept—a 1,341-horsepower “Ultra GT”—and said it would become the brand’s first fully electric car, planned for around 2028 or 2029. This wasn’t just a design sketch. The car had a finished interior and exterior and could actually drive.
Interior of cancelled Lamborghini Lanzador EV concept cabin. | Source: caranddriver
After speaking with dealers and studying customer feedback for about a year, CEO Stephan Winkelmann said interest in a fully electric Lamborghini is “flattening” and almost “close to zero”. According to him, Lamborghini buyers care deeply about how a car feels and sounds. They want the roar of an engine, the physical feedback, and confidence that the car will hold its value. He warned that investing heavily in EVs without real demand could turn into “an expensive hobby”.
Because of that, Lamborghini will now release the Lanzador as a plug-in hybrid instead of a full EV. By the end of the decade, all Lamborghini models will be hybrids, not fully electric. The company also says it plans to keep building internal-combustion engines for as long as it can.
Lamborghini isn’t alone. Bentley has delayed its EV plans. Aston Martin has pushed back its first electric car. Mercedes-Benz is keeping gas and hybrid cars around longer after slower EV sales. In Europe, luxury EVs like the Lucid Air, Rolls-Royce Spectre, and Mercedes EQS SUV saw noticeable sales drops, while the BMW i7 was one of the few that grew.
At the same time, EV sales overall are still rising globally, especially in China and Europe. So the slowdown seems more specific to high-end performance cars, not the entire EV market.
That puts attention on Ferrari and its upcoming electric model, the Ferrari Luce. Ferrari is moving ahead with its first full EV even as some rivals step back. The brand has proven critics wrong before—its Purosangue SUV became a strong seller—but electric supercars face tougher questions about resale value, charging access, and how long the technology will stay current.
Lamborghini says its decision is about its customers, not competitors. Still, there’s a message for every luxury carmaker to hear: in the supercar world, going electric only works if buyers truly want it.
