Lamborghini backs eFuel push to keep its bulls raging

Lamborghini isn’t committing to ceasing internal-combustion engine production, and sees synthetic fuels as an opportunity to continue offering such powertrains well into the next decade.

“There are different levels to how we see it,” Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann told media.

“The first one is we might utilise synthetic fuels only for our race activities.

“The second thing is to protect our car parc, because the majority of our cars after 60 years still exist. So after 2035, there must be an opportunity, and this is what I think is very important. That all of our customers can continue to drive their cars.

“The last step is that hybrid drivetrains can be acceptable, as new cars, after 2035. Whatever it takes, we will have a clear understanding in some years about the legislation and regulations.”

The European Union officially announced a ban on the sale of new combustion-engine vehicles on the continent from 2035 as part of its Green Deal.

However, opposition from Germany led to an exemption being planned for synthetic fuels, aka e-fuels. It will potentially allow automakers to continue selling cars in Europe after 2035 with combustion engines, provided they run on such fuels.

Fellow Volkswagen Group brand Porsche has been vocal in its support for e-fuels, announcing a partnership to produce them in Chile and Australia. Its partner, Global Thermostat, has withdrawn from the project but the automaker is continuing its investment in the technology.

Mr Winkelmann reiterated Lamborghini hasn’t made a decision on what will power the replacements for its recently revealed Revuelto and the replacement for the current Huracan that’s due in 2024.

“On the two supersports cars, we still have time to decide whether we go in one direction or the other,” he said, adding the brand will “continue as long as possible with hybrid drivetrains on the two supersports cars”.

“The emission regulations which are coming up are making combustion engines more and more expensive in the time to come, and even more limited in terms of development of power output. So there are a lot of things which we have to take into consideration.”

In contrast, the Urus will go fully electric by the end of the decade, while Lamborghini’s upcoming fourth model – a 2+2 due in 2028 – will exclusively offer electric power.