Lamborghini: Plug-in hybrids an easy sell if the engine is big
24/04/2024 14:00
Lamborghini says it is not sure performance-car customers at the top end of the market want a plug-in hybrid with a small engine – even if it is faster than the petrol-only version.
Italian car maker Lamborghini says it expects to have no issues selling its latest plug-in hybrid because it does not downsize the engine – and is faster than the petrol-only model it replaces.
Chief technical officer Rouven Mohr told media including DriveLamborghini expects “a huge run” on the new Urus SE hybrid SUV as it retains the twin-turbo V8 of petrol-only iterations – with an electric boost for more power and speed.
Other car makers have used a switch to plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power to shrink the engine, and use the electric motor to make up the performance shortfall – and often go further.
Among them is Mercedes-AMG’s switch from twin-turbo V8 to four-cylinder plug-in hybrid power in the latest C63, which has increased peak power by 33 per cent, but has led to criticism the new model lacks the noise and emotion of the V8.
“At the moment I cannot 100 per cent answer, because the car has not really been presented yet,” Mr Mohr said in a media roundtable ahead of the Urus SE’s reveal.
“But we expect … a huge run on the car. Why? Because it’s not a classic downsized PHEV.
“For sure this sometimes can be borderline, if you downsize the [petrol] engine and replace [petrol] power with electric power. In this performance segment, in this luxury segment, sometimes the customers are not in love with this approach. But we did [it] the opposite way around.”
The Urus SE combines a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V8 familiar to every other Urus – albeit with slightly less power – augmented by an electric motor in the gearbox housing, and a battery pack under the boot floor.
It is the most powerful Lamborghini Urus ever sold, with 588kW and 950Nm – nearly 100kW and 100Nm more than the previous top model, the 490kW/850Nm Performante and S versions without hybrid power.
The SE will become the sole Urus variant – until an even faster model arrives at a later date – as every model the company builds will be a plug-in hybrid from the end of this year.
“We have more or less the same combustion power, and added on top, electric power,” said Mr Mohr.
“That gives us from a performance point of view a lot of advantages regarding the response of the engine, the transition going on the throttle, going off the throttle. With the new drivetrain we can have a completely new torque distribution.
He said: “The car is also emitting less CO2, but this is a side effect. At the end, from the customer perception, the car has only advantages for it. So I don’t expect any doubts. Also the sound is … what you expect from a Lamborghini.”
Mr Mohr said the headline 588kW power output – which converts to 800 horsepower – is intended to usurp rivals that have emerged with more power since the original Urus was unveiled with 478kW in late 2017.
“We decided to go in the direction of … the performance-oriented plug-in hybrid because we wanted to be, let me say, back on number one regarding the power output,” he said.
“At the moment … with 800 CV … we are again at position number one in the segment.”
The Lamborghini executive told media the plug-in hybrid system – with a large 25.7kWh battery about two-thirds the size of what is fitted to Australia’s cheapest electric car – adds “close to 200kg” to the vehicle.
“But we tried to compensate as much as we could. Therefore, let me say, that the [actual weight penalty] is a little bit less,” Mr Mohr told media.
“Overall we are 150 [to] 180 kilogrammes heavier than the current Urus, but we are still the lightest car in the hybrid segment. This was our ambition.”
He said weight has been saved in other areas, including “20kg even on the rear differential”.
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