Lamborghini's plug-in hybrid supercar runs for a cool six miles in electric-only mode
Though the engine charges the battery back up in six minutes.
Luxury sports cars aren’t exactly known for being eco-conscious, but Lamborghini just announced the company’s first plug-in hybrid supercar. The Lamborghini Revuelto, which translates to “scrambled,” should satisfy anyone’s need for speed, so long as they don’t look too hard at the battery life.
In other words, engaging this vehicle in all-electric mode won’t get you very far, just 6.2 miles from a full charge. That is likely not enough juice to get you to the grocer and back, but this is a hybrid vehicle not exactly intended for all-electric usage. With that said, the combustion engine charges the rather minuscule 3.8kWh battery on its own in just six minutes via regenerative braking on the front wheels, the company announced in a press release.
Battery life isn’t the main reason people buy luxury sports cars (it probably doesn't crack the top ten) so the engine here is designed for power, acceleration and max speeds. The relatively light engine (480 pounds) pumps out 814 horsepower at a blistering 9,250 rpm. This is a Lamborghini through and through, with a multitude of air intake ducts located throughout to increase airflow for the engine, resulting in a power level of 126 hp per liter. The company says this is the “highest output in the history of Lamborghini’s 12-cylinder engines.”
The design is heavily influenced by aerospace engineering, with sculpted surfaces, pointed lines and hexagonal exhausts. Lamborghini also took design cues from its own past, like the vertically opening scissor doors from 1970s Countach models and the floating blade on the rear fender often associated with the Diablo line.
Of course, the interior is outfitted with all kinds of tech-forward components, like a 12.3-inch digital cockpit with a large center display, an equally large 9-inch passenger-side display and plenty of affiliated infotainment options. This is also the first Lamborghini ever with an advanced driver-assist system. Finally, there is an associated smartphone and smartwatch app that monitors aspects of the car’s status, such as fuel level, battery, range and GPS location. This app even performs basic tasks remotely, like activating the horn, lights and locks.
This is the first step in Lamborghini and parent company Volkswagen's plans to release an all-electric luxury vehicle by 2030. However, the brand hopes to continue making combustion engines into the 2030s that run on synthetic fuel. The Lamborghini Revuelto ships later this year at the eye-watering price of $542,165, as reported by Automotive News Europe (requires a free sign-up to read.)
