Report: Lamborghini Huracan Successor Will Be a Plug-in Hybrid

We know Lamborghini will offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain on the Urus SUV, but now it appears a much more unlikely candidate will also receive the technology. The successor to the current Lamborghini Huracan will be a plug-in hybrid when it arrives in 2022, reports Autocar.

Lamborghini boss Stefano Domenicali told the publication: “The [next] Huracan—that car will need hybridization. Hybridization is the answer, not [full] electric.”

Despite its hybrid ambitions, Lamborghini will continue to use big gasoline engines. “There is still a lot of potential for the V-12,” said Domenicali. “The right approach for us is to have the V-10 and V-12 to suit our customers and then be ready to switch [to a hybrid] at the right moment.”

Two years ago, we interviewed Lamborghini R&D chief Maurizio Reggiani, who expressed concerns about putting hybrid technology in supercars. “Hybrid for me really is still far away, because weight is the most important [physical] input we can have in a car, and if we add a hybrid the weight of the battery and the package is really unbelievable,” he said at the time. He said the Urus makes a good first model to test out its hybrid technology since weight isn’t as big of an issue with SUVs.

According to Autocar, the Lamborghini Huracan successor will adopt next-generation battery technology that should help keep weight down. And it’s not just experimenting with hybrids for the short-term; Lamborghini is apparently investing heavily in the R&D of future powertrain technology even beyond 2022. It began work last year with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a project for future supercars, which will likely focus on lightweight materials and battery storage solutions.

Source: Autocar

The post Report: Lamborghini Huracan Successor Will Be a Plug-in Hybrid appeared first on Motor Trend.

from Motor Trend http://ift.tt/2zl10sC