Lamborghini can build a powerful electric car. But the CEO says customers don't want one

It's not easy selling electric supercars these days.

Owners and enthusiasts are pushing back against battery-powered two-seaters, demanding internal combustion engines that rattle homes and echo throughout the neighborhood. Stephan Winkelmann, the CEO of Lamborghini, said customers are demanding piercing V12s and V8s in their garages, forcing him to cancel the company's plan to build all-electric supercars and SUVs.

The fabled Italian marque hasn't totally abandoned electrification; the Temerario is the third hybrid to be built at the Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, plant. Plus, orders for the Urus SE and Revuelto, the brand's electrified SUV and V12 supercar, are booked up until 2026.

"We could do a very powerful, very fast fully electric car, but it's not about what we are able to do, it's about fulfilling the dreams of customers," Winkelmann told ABC News. "The customers want internal combustion engines."

Lamborghini recently unveiled the Fenomeno, a special "few-off" sports car at The Quail in Carmel, California. The $3.5 million conveyance -- built with a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 that makes 823 horsepower -- will limited to 29 units. Each unit has already been sold.

Winkelmann, an industry veteran, opened up about the tariff impact on Lamborghini sales, why the auto community is shunning EVs and how the brand is staying authentic to customers.

The interview below has been edited for clarity.

Q: You just unveiled the Fenomeno, a limited production hybrid supercar with a naturally aspirated V12 engine. All 29 units already have a buyer attached. Why limit production to just 29 models?

A: We're keeping one for our museum, so 30 units in total. It's important to maintain residual value ... and improve and increase the value of [our] cars in the future.

Q: How are sales so far of the Temerario, the successor to the Huracán?

A: They're good. The first cars will come to the U.S. at the end of this year. Worldwide, we are already sold out for 2026.

Q: Will there ever be a point when Lamborghini no longer offers a V12 in its lineup?

A: As long as it is possible in terms of regulations and in terms of our capability of doing a powerful and beautiful and nice-sounding engine, we will keep it.

Q: There's been a big push among some enthusiasts for analog-type cars -- sports cars and even off-roaders that are the antithesis to electrification. What are you hearing from customers? Are they still interested in an all-electric Lambo?

A: Generally, the automotive world acceptance of electric cars is flattening -- it's not rising as it was forecasted a couple of years ago. And this is even more true for supercars. So we decided the next generation of the Urus will be another plug-in hybrid.

For us, for the time being, electrification is postponed. If you ask the customers today what they want, they want an ICE engine. The plug-in hybrids are working perfectly -- they've giving customers the opportunity for even more power output with the battery. And on top of that we're reducing CO2 emissions.

The customers want ICE engines but we also have to take into consideration the regulations. With the flattening curve, now we started to postpone, to cancel, the electrification of the Urus. We could do a very powerful, very fast fully electric car, but it's not about what we are able to do, it's about fulfilling the dreams of customers. Lamborghini is about design and performance, and that's what's most important. It's always about being somebody who is changing the boundaries and to be brave. But on the other hand you always have to stay authentic to what you are. This is what we have to continue to pursue. We've proved in the past that we are able to do so and the future will tell.

Q: I suspect sales of Lamborghinis will become more expensive because of the tariffs President Trump has instituted. What have you told clients about higher prices? Are all the added costs being absorbed by the company or passed along to the consumer?

A: At the time being the tariffs are 27.5%. We passed 7% [of the added cost] of the Urus and Temerario to the customers and 10% of the Revuelto -- so the majority is on our shoulders.

Q: Will that change?

A: We will see. The announcement was tariffs are going down to 15%. That's what we hope. And for us free trade is the way to go because we are a small company. We have to act worldwide. There is no way to leave out countries that have a high [sales] potential.

The uncertainty is the worst thing. There is a bit of a V effect now. We'll see in the next couple of months how this will adjust.

Q: Has this been the most challenging year for you with all the uncertainty?

A: They say every period is challenging because of new technology, new rules, because of crises due to geopolitical changes, wars. So the last years after COVID were surprises, good and bad, but we managed to stay on top. It's clear there is a limit to everything. We need to continually adopt, to continuously find the solutions for things -- which are expected and unexpected. In the past there was a shortage of chips. Then the closing of markets. China was not expected to change so dramatically and so fast. Nobody was expecting the tariffs in the U.S. So what else can come? A global economic crisis? We had that in 2009 and 2010.

Q: The company reported record sales during the COVID pandemic. What are sales like now?

A: We recognized very early that this was the YOLO [You Only Live Once] effect. It was the idea of rewarding yourself after being behind doors for quite a long period of time. We were sure this was a high that could not continue. We said we have to be consistent and have an order bank. The first time we saw a drop in the total market was in 2024 against 2023. And this trend more or less holding ... we think there will be a plateau for the next year. It will not drop dramatically.