Lamborghini CTO: “numbers are losing their value in the electric world”

“A Lamborghini always has to be the most exciting thing in its particular segment; this is still our baseline,” Lamborghini’s chief technical officer Rouven Mohr tells TopGear.com. It’s an answer to a question many have asked themselves as we embrace the electric future: how exactly does a brand like Lamborghini stay… like Lamborghini when the aggression, noise and vibrations are dialled down?

“In every segment we enter we want to offer the most exciting driving experience. This can be related to performance but also how the car is giving you feedback.

“Sound is for sure one of those feedbacks, but not the only thing. It’s also about how the car turns in or how you feel it shifting. It’s how the car speaks to you. And yes, when you talk about fully electric cars there’s still work needed. But I would not be so worried because we have other opportunities that can make the cars more reactive. Perhaps a different pedal strategy. 

“It’s not solely about numbers, because in the electric world, the numbers are losing their value a bit. So the question for me is not necessarily the values, but how you achieve those values. The difference lies in the experience, and we’ve got ideas on this.”

It goes without saying, then, that the forthcoming four-seat Lanzador GT will have a lot riding on its shoulders. Not least because it is the first real representation of Lambo’s foray into electrified territory most competitors have already begun exploring. So, what can we expect?

“We are not saying this car is a replacement for combustion or hybrid power. We’re offering it because we believe there is a market for it and because it’s clear that the transition to electric is here. You might not like it, but you can’t ignore it. It’s a fact. So we decided we must make a car for this because our customers are buying elsewhere because we aren’t offering it. 

“But we wanted to do it our way, so we aren’t entering the market with a standard car shape. We didn’t want a classical coupe or another SUV, we wanted to do something which at first glance was a bit unexpected. A car with the shape of a supercar with two doors, that’s elevated and electric. What even is this category? It doesn’t really exist at the moment, which is typical of Lamborghini because we want to establish our niche.”

And, not for the first time, plenty will question if this’ll even work.

“When we first spoke about the Urus, I remember people were saying ‘forget it’, and ‘an SUV won’t work for Lamborghini’. Nobody is saying that now. I can guarantee you as well that in the electric world, we will find a way to have a ‘typical’ Lamborghini in the segments.” 

There’s also the potential of synthetic fuels on the way, which would be music to the ears of combustion engine supporters. Unexpectedly, Mohr has reaffirmed the marque’s commitment to seeing if that potential can be turned into something concrete. 

“Being a part of a strong group, with Porsche leading the research and development, is important. We can participate and we can share. But on top of that, we’ve also started discussions with an e-fuel company in Oman, and investigating how we could use this in the future. Perhaps motorsport would be a good starting point?

“E-fuels are a good option for us, given the cars we make, but it will depend entirely on the regulations. If the regulations enable us to actively support use, then I’m confident the industry will find a way to commercialise it. It’s an ongoing challenge, but if the conditions allow integration, it will make things very interesting.”

Naturally, you may be wondering at this point if big breakthroughs with synfuels could change Lamborghini’s approach entirely, but Mohr doesn’t believe so.

“The electric car will be a trend that won’t disappear, it would be a mistake to think it will. So we want to enter the segment to offer something for our customers here. It’s the same strategy we’ll adopt if e-fuels become available. It will be considered for future models for sure, but there’s still a lot of time to decide. 

“We also mustn’t forget that while many are in love with the combustion engine, the younger generation, sooner or later, will consider whether electricity is massively outperforming it. Then there will be a tipping point where the younger people are less interested in the combustion world, so we must cater for that.”