A technology at the service of the customer, not imposed. No to the silence of pure electricity. The president and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini talks about the strategy for the future of the Sant’Agata Bolognese company after a record year of sales
Automobili Lamborghini closed the 2025 financial year with historic results, establishing new absolute records for the company both in terms of volumes and turnover: the commercial success and the 3.3% increase in turnover – which reached 3.20 billion euros – was driven by the plug-in hybrid range, confirming the validity of the gradual transition towards electrification. Stephan Winkelmann, president and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, delves into the reasons for the strategy of the House of the Bull which has announced a temporary stop to the plans for a totally electric car in the short term.
DREAMS AND INNOVATION
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“Innovation must serve the dream”. Stephan Winkelmann thus welcomed the journalists to the round table organized on the occasion of the announcement of the financial results with a declaration of intent. That of continuing to develop the company, which closed 2025 with the best turnover in its history at 3.20 billion, putting the customer at the center in a constant search for balance between advanced technologies and driving pleasure. “Because in the world of extreme luxury – explains Winkelmann – the purchase of a car is never a rational choice based solely on mobility, but the fulfillment of a desire”. For Lamborghini, this principle translates into a clear strategy: technology must be for the benefit of the customer, not imposed “despite” the customer. And while the global automotive sector accelerates towards the energy transition, the Sant’Agata Bolognese company chooses a more reflective path, guided by listening to customers who, for now, say “no” to the silence of pure electric. The need for technological and scientific progress that is not an end in itself, but oriented towards the realization of higher, more humane and sustainable visions is very clear. The new record of deliveries set in 2025, with 10,747 cars and turnover growing by 3.3% compared to the previous year, is part of a year characterized by a complex macroeconomic scenario, and demonstrates how Automobili Lamborghini’s strength does not only lie in numbers, but in the ability to manage complexity. “In a challenging global context we continued to grow, protecting profitability and further strengthening the value of the brand.” The strategy of the House of the Bull is based, according to Stephan Winkelmann, on the three key points of discipline, long-term vision and centrality of the product: “a balance that allows external challenges to be transformed into levers of consolidation and to continue to create sustainable value”.
THE BULL BRAKES ON PURE ELECTRIC
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Lamborghini’s strategy focuses on one approach plug-in hybrid which puts plans for purely electric vehicles on hold due to low customer demand. “The main obstacle to the spread of full-electric supercars is not autonomy, but the absence of the combustion engine” – explains Winkelmann. Lamborghini customers prefer combustion engines and fear the low residual values of luxury electric cars, and for this reason Lamborghini will continue to develop internal combustion engines as long as regulations allow it. The “way back” to pure combustion, although technically possible and desired by those asking for the restoration of manual gearboxes, is not the priority. The fully hybridized range in 2025, with Revuelto, Urus SE and Temerario, represents a profound transformation, achieved without compromising on the character and performance that define the brand, offering the “best of both worlds”: electric performance in the city and the sound of the combustion engine on the track, and confirmed by strong customer feedback internationally. “During 2026 – says Stephan Winkelmann – Automobili Lamborghini will continue along the path of evolution of its offering, with a series of innovations that will contribute to further strengthening the positioning of the brand and its attractiveness on international markets. And some of these will be presented in contexts of international importance, such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the traditional Monterey Car Week event”. Moments that represent natural platforms to describe the evolution of the brand and the continuous development of its activities, in line with a long-term vision oriented towards growth and the creation of value. Meanwhile, Italy and Lamborghini are pushing for alternative e-fuels (synthetic petrols) in Europe, collaborating with giants such as Eni. The objective is carbon neutrality (already achieved at the Sant’Agata site since 2015) without however sacrificing the emotion of the piston. And in the future the challenge will be the fourth model, which will mark the big step towards electric, but only when the technology is accepted by the market.
THE EMOTIONAL FACTOR
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Sound as a condition sine qua non. “Whoever buys a Lamborghini buys a dream – explains Winkelmann – and, in that dream, the vibrations and roar of the engine are essential elements. Between 2022 and 2023, interest in electric cars seemed to be growing. However, road tests carried out with customers in recent years have cooled enthusiasm: the electric driving experience did not live up to expectations in terms of emotional involvement. Hence the strategic decision to focus decisively on the hybrid. Models such as the Revuelto, the Urus SE and the Temerario represent the perfect compromise: superior performance thanks to electrification, but with the thermal heart that continues to beat. For an enthusiast, sound is not an accessory, it is the soul of the car – concludes Winkelmann, reiterating that the design of the Lanzador, the first 100% electric concept announced in 2023, was converted into a plug-in hybrid model due to a “close to zero” market demand for electric supercars.
caution in strategies
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With 10,747 cars delivered in 2025, Automobili Lamborghini has exceeded the 10,000 unit threshold for the third consecutive year, confirming the solidity of demand at a global level. Temerario will contribute to further strengthening this positive trend, whose deliveries to customers began in the first months of 2026 and which completes the path of the brand’s hybridization strategy. The new model stands out for a completely new engine, capable of reaching 10,000 rpm for the first time on a series engine, and for a balance between extreme performance and advanced technology that enhances the Lamborghini DNA. “The product mix contributed positively to the results of the year, thanks to a greater impact of Revuelto and the growing weight of the customization program ad personam – explains the CEO of Automobili Lamborghini – and in the case of the Revuelto, for example, the optional extras cost on average 100,000 euros”. In 2025, 94% of the cars delivered were customized in at least one element, confirming the program as a central lever for creating value and a determining factor in achieving the turnover record. “Because luxury thrives on exclusivity and customization”. The identikit of the Lamborghini customer is also changing: “Younger, more demanding and more feminine” says Winkelmann. With the advent of the Urus, the brand has opened its doors to a new audience; the average age has dropped to around 45, with markets such as Korea where the female presence exceeds 20%. Winkelmann also addressed the geopolitical issue and the tariffs. a collapse of the luxury segment also due to the real estate crisis, the United States where the increase in duties has weighed on a market which for Lamborghini represents 30% of total sales, and logistical instability and uncertainty on prices in the Middle East. There is no “new America” today capable of absorbing declines in these key markets and this makes any strategic move extremely cautious.”
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