Skip to main content

Lanzador concept previews Lamborghini’s first EV

Front three quarter view of the Lamborghini Lanzador concept.
Lamborghini

Lamborghini provided the first glimpse at its electric future with the Lanzador, an all-electric concept car that previews the Italian automaker’s first EV, debuting in 2028. But an electric powertrain isn’t the only thing that sets the Lanzador apart from the Lamborghinis of today.

Lamborghini’s current lineup includes two-seat mid-engined supercars and the Urus SUV. The Lanzador represents a third body style: the “2+2” grand touring car, with occasional-use rear seats. Lamborghini has built cars like this before, including the Espada, Urraco, and Jarama, but the Lanzador adds a more SUV-like raised ride height, something Lamborghini has already dabbled with in the Huracán Sterrato. That should make tackling steep driveways less perilous than in current Lamborghini supercars, while folding rear seats provide additional cargo space.

Details on the powertrain are few, but Lamborghini did confirm a dual-motor all-wheel drive system with an output of “over one megawatt,” or 1,341 horsepower. To tame all of that power, Lamborghini equipped the Lanzador with a variety of drive modes, wheel-speed control that regulates power distribution to individual wheels, and active aerodynamic elements that can direct airflow to maximize cooling and efficiency or generate grip-enhancing downforce.

Intended to be more luxurious than a traditional Lamborghini, the Lanzador features active air suspension that automatically adjusts itself to road conditions or the driver’s style, or can be manually adjusted with controls on the steering wheel. Rear-axle steering helps increase agility.

The interior is defined by a wedge dividing the driver and front passenger, who each get their own individual screens. There is no central touchscreen, just a protuberance that houses infotainment and climate controls. It’s not the most visually attractive or ergonomic-looking interface, however.

Lamborghini made a point of using sustainable interior materials from Italian suppliers, including Merino wool stitched with thread made from recycled nylon, recycled plastics, 3D-printed seat foam made from recycled fibers, and “regenerated” carbon fiber trim. Even the leather upholstery is sustainably tanned, using leftover water from olive oil production. This means the water is used in two industrial processes before being treated, helping to reduce overall water use.

The Lanzador will go into production later in the decade as the fourth Lamborghini model, and the only one so far confirmed as an EV. The Revuelto plug-in hybrid launches later this year as a replacement for the flagship Lamborghini Aventador. Lamborghini plans to make the rest of its lineup plug-in hybrids by the end of 2024 with a plug-in successor to the Huracán and a Urus plug-in hybrid. An all-electric SUV isn’t out of the question, but expect Lamborghini to avoid turning its marquee supercars into EVs until the bitter end.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Lamborghini’s Urus SE plug-in hybrid tries to do it all
Lamborghini Urus SE front quarter.

Lamborghini built its reputation with outrageous supercars like the Miura, Countach, and Diablo, but today its bestseller is the Urus SUV. And a new plug-in hybrid version of that car could make or break the automaker’s push to hybridize its entire lineup by the end of 2024.

Debuting at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, the Lamborghini Urus SE is the automaker’s second plug-in hybrid, following the Revuelto supercar unveiled in 2023, and precedes a plug-in hybrid replacement for the Huracán, which will be unveiled later this year.

Read more
Mercedes G580 electrifies an off-road icon
Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology front quarter.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is Germany’s answer to Jeep, Hummer, and Land Rover. Combining traditional Mercedes luxury with serious off-road capability, the G-Class, or Geländewagen, as it’s formally known, is right at home on the trail or the valet stand. And now it’s going electric.

Mercedes has been teasing an electric G-Class since 2021, and now it’s finally arrived in the form of the G580 with EQ Technology. Expected to go on sale in the U.S.as a 2025 model alongside refreshed gasoline G-Class variants, it uses electric powertrain tech to update a classic design and enhance off-road capability.

Read more
Tesla to begin production on new, more affordable models
Tesla Model 3

With competition increasing from Chinese and other automakers, Tesla boss Elon Musk revealed on Tuesday that his company is planning to begin production of new, more affordable models in “early 2025, if not late this year.” Notably, that's earlier than the previously stated date of late 2025, though whether Musk actually succeeds in meeting the earlier production time frame is another question entirely.

The news came as Tesla released its latest quarterly figures. Revenue for the electric vehicle maker came in at $21.3 billion, down from the $23.3 billion it reported for the same three-month period a year earlier and also down from the $25.2 billion reported in the previous quarter. Profit reached $1.1 billion, marking a 55% fall compared to the same period a year ago.

Read more