Lamborghini plans to bring its all-electric supercar this year

ABU DHABI: Lamborghini has released the details of its first HPEV super sports car that will make its official premiere this year as a part of its 60th-anniversary celebration. 

Like other sports car giants, Lamborghini took a long time to embrace electric drivetrains. The main reason behind this is that its loyal customers crave loud V12 and V8 engines and neck-snapping speed. But since the competition has heated up and companies, like Aston Martin, Drako and Rimac have been working on electric supercars, it's the right time for Lamborghini to enter into this segment.

This plug-in hybrid vehicle has been codenamed "LB744" and is the successor to the outgoing Aventador. It is lighter than its predecessor and a lot more potent due to the optimization of its combustion chambers and refinements made to its air intake ducts. It has a gas-fed 6.5-liter V12 engine behind the passenger cabin, similar to the outgoing Aventador. The combined output of this mid-engine hybrid is approximately 1,000 horsepower. The 3.8-kWh battery pack has been mounted in the central tunnel and can be charged up to 7 kW in half an hour. It has all-wheel drive, but when you reverse, it works as a front-wheel-drive EV.

The LB744 is not the first Lamborghini that uses an electric motor. In the Lamborghini Sian, an electric motor was matched to an internal combustion engine. The LB744 introduces a new generation of V12 and an unprecedented hybrid architecture. It is the first High-Performance Electrified Vehicle equipped with a lightweight lithium-ion battery.

Lamborghini is estimated to spend 16 billion euros in favor of shifting toward electric vehicle production. The $1.8 billion investment is estimated to be the largest outlay in the history of Lamborghini. Its move to hybrid power is not only for environmental factors but also a useful tool in power development. LB744 has the potential to draw a huge percentage of car buyers towards buying EVs with its performance and efficiency.

Also read: Lamborghini takes its iconic models to ice to celebrate its 60th anniversary