Lamborghini EV dead in the water, confirms CEO

Been holding your breath for the new Lanzador? Nope, and nor was anyone else, it seems...

By Matt Bird / Monday, 23 February 2026 / Loading comments

Lamborghini has officially cancelled the Lanzador project, the car that was to become its first electric vehicle. In an interview with The Sunday Times, boss Stephan Winkelmann pointed to a lack of demand from its customers, unfavourable market conditions and the suitability of plug-in hybrids for its current lineup as justification for terminating the SUV, first seen in 2023. Just as Ferrari forges ahead with the Luce, notably…

“The decision was made after over a year of continuous internal discussion, engaging with customers, dealers, market analysis and global data,” he said. You only need to look at what happened with the cancelled Maserati MC20 Folgore (or the residuals of the Folgores that have made it) to see what the high-end customers are after at the moment. Or listen to Mate Rimac talk about how future cars from his trailblazing company are unlikely to be electric after slow Nevera sales. Or, more positively, reflect on the fact that the current PHEV range - Revuelto, Temerario, Urus - is arguably the most complete range of Lamborghinis ever. They have their successful little niche (with another 10,000 cars sold in 2025 for the second year in a row), plenty of buyer goodwill and malleable EU lawmakers. Why change?

“Investing heavily in full-EV development when the market and customer base are not ready would be an expensive hobby, and financially irresponsible towards shareholders, customers [and] to our employees and their families”, Winkelmann added, without pulling any punches. While not direct rivals, the enormous losses recently posted by manufacturers like Ford, Stellantis and GM will reflected the almost complete lack of wind finding EV sails elsewhere. If it can’t be sold at mass market prices, then battery power surely has an even tougher conquest mission at hundreds of thousands.

Especially, of course, when the brand involved is Lamborghini. Selling silence works for a battery-powered Rolls-Royce; it appeals rather less after 60 years of wailing V12s. The Revuelto is possibly the greatest flagship Lamborghini has ever made, with battery and engine in pretty much perfect harmony; we can expect a bit more range to follow (look at the Fenomeno for a preview of that), but no drastic uprooting of a technical approach that's working for Lamborghini and its customers. Particularly with exemptions in place for upcoming legislation, on account of small volumes.

Speaking of the current cars, Winkelmann said PHEVs “offer the best of both worlds, combining the agility and low-rev boost of electric battery technology with the emotion and power output of an internal combustion engine”. Which has been the appeal for a while now; albeit with the benefits of hindsight and distance, it’s of no surprise, really, that customers captivated by decades of exotic combustion powerplants aren’t so keen on battery power. EVs undoubtedly have their place - the likes of Renault have shown how it ought to be done - but revs and sound are so central to the supercar experience that it’s impossible to imagine them without suck, squeeze, bang and blow. Or we just don’t want to.

Of course, in the fullness of time, Winkelmann hasn’t entirely ruled out the idea. Probably the reception of the Ferrari will be monitored even more closely than usual. “Never say never, but only when the time is right. For the foreseeable future, only PHEVs. We will continue to develop electrification because we also need to be ready,” he conceded. “The times we are living in are fast moving; if you don’t react fast, you risk going out of business or losing momentum. Therefore [we need] a solid financial base to reinvest in the future.” There is no better base, it would seem, than the current hybrids, with a host of SVs, Performantes and whatnot still to come. Makes perfect sense.