Lamborghini might have built its reputation on the back of screaming V10s and V12s, but it’s now firmly ready to embrace the electric age. Back in May this year, CEO Stephan Winkelmann announced a bold electrification strategy that will see Lamborghini hybridise its entire range by 2024, and introduce a fourth model, a brand new full EV, in the second half of the decade.
What Winkelmann didn’t mention is that you can already buy a Lamborghini-branded EV and have been able to for some time. The snag is it only has two wheels and a top speed of 15.5mph. The AL1 electric scooter features a lightweight magnesium frame with front suspension, rides on 8-inch wheels, and has an electric brake at the front and a mechanical one at the rear. It weighs 13 kg, or about as much as the average Aventador owner’s wallet, and can accommodate riders up to 100 kg.
The wheels aren’t fitted with pneumatic tires, which means you don’t have to worry about punctures, and should also deliver an authentic supercar-style kidney-jiggling ride over rough surfaces. Performance is modest by Lamborghini standards. A single 350 W brushless motor drawing current from a 280 Wh battery gives the AL1 a Vmax of just 6 km/h in its ECO mode, 20 km/h in D, and 25 km/h in S, which is the scooter equivalent of an Aventador’s Corsa setting. You can bet that Lamborghini’s R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani will be hoping the company’s first four-wheel EV coming later this decade can improve on both those figures and the AL1’s 25-30 km.
A smart display lets you monitor speed and battery life, and LED lights (which you can control by an app that also monitors things like battery range over time) mean people should see you coming even if you don’t have a V12 roar to signal your arrival. As for charging this bull, it’ll take 3-5 hours, using a regular household plug. But the best bit is that this is one Lamborghini you don’t have to win the lottery to afford. The AL1 cost just € 499 (US$ 591). We have a feeling the four-wheeled Lamborghini EV will be rather more expensive.
