Lamborghini is heavily relying on synthetic fuels and is hoping the technology can prolong the destiny of its internal combustion engines.
As laws and restrictions tighten, especially in popular and important markets around the world for Lamborghini, such as America and Europe, the focus for many car brands is full electric. However, Lamborghini wants to keep its combustion engines running for as long as the regulations will allow it.
Speaking with media during a presentation of the Sterrato in Bali recently, Asia Pacific director, Francesco Scardaoni, said synthetic fuel can be a “way out” for having super sport cars, with hybrid technology running into the future with a combustion engine. He said it’s up to the legislators: “If they will allow manufacturers to use synthetic fuels, and then we consider the emissions of synthetic fuels, okay.”
Lamborghini, as part of the wider Volkswagen Group, is essentially investing indirectly in synthetic fuel technology. Porsche has invested around $100 million in e-fuels by taking a stake in HIF Global, a company that specialises making e-fuels using green hydrogen and recycled CO2.
The idea is that using e-fuels means combustion engines could live on and run in pretty much the same form as existing engines, producing noise and progressive power delivery and so on, but with far fewer emissions than conventional crude oil-based fuels. Scardaoni said:
“This will be our ideal scenario, to have synthetic fuel internal combustion engine hybrid for super sport cars, and BEV (battery electric vehicle) on the fourth model and the super SUV. This will be in the future.”
If synthetic fuels are not given the go-ahead by legislators then Lamborghini is set to transition to a fully electric lineup in the 2030s. Before then, it is rolling out hybridisation, starting with the Revuelto and then the Urus hybrid next year.
