The successor to the Lamborghini Aventador is
apparently just around the corner, and could launch in 2020 with a hybrid
powertrain. Autocar claims that, prior to the unveiling of the Aventador’s
successor in two years, the Italian marque will preview the supercar’s hybrid
powertrain with the launch of a limited-run hypercar. Allegedly codenamed
LB48H, this vehicle was previewed to select Lamborghini customers earlier this
year with a naturally-aspirated V12 engine mated to an electric motor to
increase power and, of course, reduce emissions.
After all, Lamborghini has made no secret of the
fact that tighter emissions regulations will force it to adopt electrification
in future production models. Earlier this year, company chief technical officer Maurizio Reggiani
said that the automaker’s first hybrid supercar will be able to travel purely
on electric power for a yet-to-be-determined distance. Due to regulations in
China, it is possible that the vehicle’s all-electric range will be up to 50 km.
While the addition of one or more electric motors to
the firm’s iconic naturally-aspirated V12 engine will increase horsepower and
torque, it will also increase the vehicle’s weight. In fact, Reggiani thinks
the hybrid system could add between 150 kg and 200 kg to the
supercar’s overall weight.
It is possible that the hybrid system of Lambo’s new
range-topping supercar could utilize an electrically-powered front axle.
Lamborghini says that such a system would allow for full torque vectoring at
the front, helping to compensate for the extra weight and, at the same time,
increase the car’s agility. It would also be a standalone system, disconnected
from the internal combustion engine.
This setup was previewed in 2014 by the Asterion
concept, which used the Huracan’s V10 to drive the rear wheels and three
brushless electric motors driving the front ones, for a combined output of 910
PS, an average consumption of just 4.2 lt/100km (67 mpg UK / 55.8 mpg
US) and CO2 emissions of 98 g/km.
