Lamborghini’s Revuelto first 12-cylinder with a plug

Italian sports car icon Lamborghini is making its first steps into the world of electric cars by adding a plug to the successor of the Aventador, the Revuelto. The small 3,8 kWh battery is hardly sufficient for 10 km of full-electric autonomy. Still, it feeds three extra motors to boost the power of the 6.5 liter naturally aspirated V12 mid-engine from 825 hp to 1015 hp.

Technically, it’s a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Still, Lamborghini calls it a ‘High-Performance Electrified Vehicle’ (HPEV), and odds are its clientele won’t bother to plug it in to recharge. After all, when the V12 can do that for you in six minutes while driving, why would you?

Turning into a pure electric car

The Sián FKP 37 was Lamborghini’s first super sports car powered by a V12 engine and hybrid technology based on supercapacitors. The 112 Countach LPI 800-4 used the same hybrid motor group as the Sián but was sold out in a few days.

Calling the newest Revuelto a real ‘green’ Lambo would be somewhat exaggerated. Still, according to the Italian sports carmaker, “the electric motors boost power delivery at low revs and can also turn the new Revuelto into a purely electric car, reducing overall CO2 emissions by 30% compared to the Aventador Ultimae.” An Aventador easily consumes 16,9 liters per 100 km today, and CO2 emissions are a whopping 499 g/km.

Three electric motors

The Revuelto isn’t officially on sale yet, so the final consumption figures of the new car are still to be homologated. So it’s all about power, what Lambo clients expect. And they are served at their beck and call.

While the V12 internal combustion engine provides power to the rear wheels, a pair of electric motors make their debut on the front axle, each supplying traction to one of the front wheels.

A third electric motor positioned above the eight-speed double-clutch gearbox can supply extra power to the rear wheels, depending on the selected driving mode and the conditions.

When choosing a driving mode, Lamborghini introduces some new driving modes, including electric 4WD, for a total of 13 different driving experiences.

Thirteen driving modes

Città (city mode), for example, is the driving mode designed for everyday driving in urban centers, also at zero emissions. When the light (70 kg) battery is exhausted, the V12 intervenes to fully recharge it (Recharge mode) in just a few minutes. Handy, the Lambo people say, to enter city centers with strict Low-Emission Zones in electric mode. “Se non è vero, è ben trovato,” we would say.

Strada (street) mode is said to be ideally suited to dynamic everyday driving and long trips, combining elevated comfort with elevated sportiness, expressing up to 886 hp of power. The front e-axle supports torque vectoring, and the active aerodynamics work to provide maximum stability at high speeds, for example, on the highway.

But driving modes can be combined with up to 13 different settings. However, most Lambo owners will likely be more interested in what the brand calls the pinnacle of dynamism and power output regarding performance and sound, which is reached in Corsa mode. Then the full power of 1 050 horses is available, catapulting the Revuelto from 0 to 100 km per hour in 2,5 seconds and reaching top speeds of over 350 km/hour.