Lanzador is first Lamborghini without tailpipes (update)

Premiered at the prestigious Monterey Car Week in California, Lamborghini has unveiled its first zero-emission family member. The new Lamborghini Lanzador is the company’s first-ever all-electric car. This cross-over will be offered as a limited run to a selection of trusted and loyal customers. It precedes a fully electric version of the Urus, scheduled for 2029.

It’s not a coincidence that Lamborghini chooses a lifted 2+2 for its first steps in a world without V8 roars or tailpipes at the back. According to the brand, these family-oriented vehicles are more open toward electrification than their trusted customer base favoring blisteringly quick sports cars.

Foldable backseats

Inside the new Lanzador, there’s no shortage of references to a dedicated driving style, however. Mind the overstyled and jetfighter-like starter button, while the four passengers are accommodated by four individual bucket seats, accessed by a two-door design.

The back seats are foldable to make more space for the luggage that those family-oriented customers have to deal with. A frunk in the front can be used for placing the charging cables.

As the trend prescribes, not only the driver looks to a digital screen, also the front passenger can manipulate some basic functions. The overall style is more or less a play on the current Urus, while it’s also reminiscent of the four-door Estoque concept model from 2008. It’s very much in line with Lamborghini’s design language, mixing aggression and drama with practicality in this case.

Technical details on the battery pack remain scarce, though the car maker announced that it will feature the new generation of a high-performance pack. Further according to Lamborghini, each wheel will feature an electric motor with peak power reaching 1 megawatt.

Not as much the hardware, but especially the software is meant to define the vehicle, unlocking new levels of dynamics and driveability based upon an active chassis. A newly-developed LDVI (Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata) and active aero are developed for the Lanzador.

Newfound dynamic

Called Direzione Cor Tauro – for ‘heart of the bull’ – the electrification plan of the performance carmaker from Sant’Agata Bolognese foresaw production of its first EV by mid-decade. For the Lanzador, a timeline of 2028 is now cited.

The company hasn’t put forward a deadline for a full electric line-up – in contrast to compatriot Maserati. But CEO Stephan Winkelmann has admitted in interviews that electrification poses an “existential threat” to the company. As even a popular Tesla Model S can accelerate as fast as Lamborghini’s ‘best bulls’, the daunting task will be to differentiate on a newfound dynamic for EVs.

By the end of 2024, the complete line-up of Lamborghini will be electrified. The pillars of that strategy are the plug-in hybrid versions of the Huracan and Urus.