Lamborghini touting "green" aspect of their new Gallardo LP560-4
A look at the Lamborghini category here on AutoblogGreen will show that, besides this posting, five of the eight posts were regarding the Italian stallion's horrible emissions, fuel mileage or both. The other three were in regards to Lamborghini's recognition that they must improve their environmental impace, whether they want to or not. So, it comes as little surprise to see that the company is touting the greener aspect of their newest creation, the Gallardo LP560-4. While nobody would truly consider the vehicle green in any meaningful way, they did manage to improve the fuel economy of the machine from a dismal 14 miles per gallon to a still rather horrible 17 mpg. Additionally, the carbon emissions of the vehicle have improved 18 percent, although the 325 grams of carbon dioxide that it emits now can hardly be classified as low.
Lamborghini themselves realize the fact that they are fighting an uphill battle, with chief executive Stephan Winkelmann admitting, "Being a supersports car is all about accelerating and top speed. If you want to go fast, you consume, and if you consume, you have emissions. You will never come to the average emissions of the average car." Is anybody else thinking of Tesla right about now?
Gallery: Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
[Source: International Herald Tribune via TTAC]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Furion 6:08PM (3/07/2008)
CO2/km is hardly the best measure when comparing cars that get driven very differently from standard beaters. A quick EBay survey of similar year Priuses and Gallardos reveals that Priuses are driven on average about 5-8 times more than Gallardos (just a quick glance at the numbers, I didn't analyze them further).
It means that a Gallardo, during its lifetime, pollutes less than a Prius (on average). So why pile hate on Lambo? Why always look at CO2/km instead of the big picture? A car that sits in the garage does not pollute, and that's where Lambos seem to spend most of their time. Compare that to Prius, which you can drive 100 miles a day, guilt free ;-)
Reply
GenWaylaid 4:24AM (3/08/2008)
Taking that line of reasoning a little further, how much range does a garage queen need? How far are these things driven in a day? Lamborghini owners may be able to go electric without sacrificing anything.
The trick, of course, is convincing them to do so. That's why we need a high-speed BEV racing series. That would also push development of regen systems and swappable battery packs.
Reply
davewin 12:47PM (3/08/2008)
A BEV racing series? Just wait, it'll come soon enough...
Reply
Chris M 3:40PM (3/08/2008)
The Tesla sales numbers and performance should have caught their attention, especially since some of Teslas customers were Lambo drivers.
At the very least, Lamborghini should consider a high power plug-in hybrid approach. Both A123 and AltairNano have good high power batteries available, high power electric motors are compact and lightweight, and Lambo customers rarely squawk about the cost.
Reply
John 9:19AM (3/10/2008)
And while you all have valid points, the one thing to keep in mind is that part of the appeal of these cars is the rumble and scream of the engine. Yes some of the Tesla owners are Lambo owners, but really, which sounds cooler? A v10/12 screaming through the gears or the quiet whine of an electric motor? It would be interesting to see a hydrogen internal combustion Lambo though. All of the noise and none of the guilt!
Reply
Dustin 6:52PM (3/10/2008)
A Lamborghini body with an electric engine does not a Lamborghini make. Yes we all know the Tesla is cool. We can see now that electric sportscars are possible. But having electric cars is not a solution for the Lamborghini brand.
Reply
bob 4:26PM (5/28/2008)
GLOBAL WARMING IS A LIE EVEN THE GUY WHO CAME UP WITH IT SAYS SO. SO WHO CARES ABOUT HOW MUCH GAS A LAMBO USES I OWN ONE AND IVE ALREADY PLACED MY ORDER FOR THIS ONE AND I SLEEP FINE AT NIGHT.
Reply
Lucas Arruda 11:04AM (7/01/2009)
Come on guys, it`s better to improve than to keep it`s original 6km/l to 7.22km/l !! Thats a huge improve for a sports car. Remember a Lamborgini is not a normal car.
Reply