“Investing in the development of full electric cars would be an expensive hobby”

something like It happened to Luca Cordero di Montezemolo It has happened to Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini. He did not want to say but he said when asked about the new Ferrari Luce and all the controversy that has surrounded the Italian company’s first all-electric launch. And Lamborghini, unlike those from Maranello, canceled its all-electric project a long time ago.

And both positions have their reason for being.

“The right way”. It is the one they have taken at Lamborghini, according to Stephan Winkelmann. Those three words are part of the answers he has given to CNBC in relation to the new Ferrari Luce. Although Winkelmann assures that “each brand, each company has to decide for itself,” he has not hesitated to defend his position.

And the head of Lamborghini considers that canceling its first fully electric car has been “the right path.” According to their internal reports, they claim that interest in a completely electric car from Lamborghini had slowed down and that is why they decided to stay with plug-in hybridization.

“An expensive hobby”. This is how resounding Winkelmann himself was a few months ago when he confirmed that the project for Lamborghini’s first electric car had been cancelled:

Investing heavily in the development of full electric vehicles when the market and customer base are not ready would be an expensive and financially irresponsible hobby towards shareholders, customers and towards our employees and their families.

The words were collected by media such as Motorpassion and they emphasize the purchase intentions of Lamborghini customers, who They still prefer the company’s V8 and V12 engines. The company, however, has used its research on the electric car to carry out the Lamborghini Revueltoits first plug-in hybrid.

Because?. As we told you during our introduction to the Lamborghini Revueltothe company was always very clear that electricity had to be a means to increase the sensations on board and improve dynamics, not aiming for a more language ecofriendly.

This decision, like that of canceling its first electric car, has its own internal logic within a company like Lamborghini, which clearly opts for hypermuscular and hypermasculine cars where sportiness is almost its only reason for being. The only concession they have made is the Lamborghini Urus and its creation falls within the Volkswagen Group’s logic of cost utilization.

a lot of sense. If the approach proposed by Lamborghini was that of an electric supercar, the truth is that there does not seem to be a market for this type of car. Mate Rimac, CEO of Rimac and creator of, perhaps, the sportiest electric car in the world, complained that political pressures to jump to electric cars They were precisely slowing down the potential sales of their electric cars.

Beyond the fact that the customer may miss the sound of a V12 engine and the feel of a gearbox, the truth is that if the average driver is forced to skip the electric car, driving a combustion supercar will be even more elitist.

It is very likely that more electric supercars will arrive but right now the context is against them. The public for this type of car seems to be revolting against the regulations that, supposedly, force them to jump to electric cars. By pure physics, the electric car needs to be much heavier than a combustion car right now. And finally, obviously lacks that sensory part which can only be associated with the sound and smell of a combustion engine.

And the Ferrari Luce? It is logical that Lamborghini defends its position and claims that its customers are not looking for an electric car, but the public profile is different between Lamborghini and Ferrari. Or, what is certain, Ferrari is trying to catch a different audience.

The Ferrari Luce is not an electric supercar, it is not an aggressive and aerodynamic sculpture on wheels as has been the norm in its history. It is a car designed to send the message that whoever has it is up to date and embraces innovation and groundbreaking products.

Since we saw the interior of the car it is something that seems more than evident. The fact that the car was shown in a light blue color and without a trace of moving videos underlines that we are looking at the launch of a car as a fashion accessory for walking comfortably through the center of any city without the discomforts typical of a supercar.

A little pull. Although Stephan Winkelmann says he does not mean to say, the truth is that he says a lot with his response. Despite not wanting to get into controversy, his defense that Lamborghini customers do not opt ​​for this type of car is a way to distinguish the two types of customers. A reaffirmation of Lamborghini’s identity.

It adds up Lamborghini’s social media post coinciding with the launch of the Luce, which reads “proud to keep you dreaming” or “proud to keep your dreams” and four attached images of a Lamborghini Revuelto in a tone of blue very similar to that used by Ferrari for the presentation of its Luce.

Photos | Lamborghini

In Xataka | If the Ferrari Luce breaks with the entire history of Ferrari it is for a very simple reason: new rich