Some car companies are well-known for their low-emissions offerings: the Tesla Roadster, the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius come to mind. Get ready to add Lamborghini to the list, as they've promised to make their new cars greener, cleaner and even meaner than ever before.
The folks in Sant'Agata announced that they're investing nearly $50 million to cut emissions 35 percent across the model range before 2015. Beyond greening the fleet, the London Telegraph reports the entire factory will be covered in solar panels, which Lamborghini estimates will cut the energy used in vehicle production by 20 percent.
"Lamborghini's commitment and its sense of social responsibility regarding the environment is evidenced by the numbers and sheer size of the investments that are planned," a company rep told the Telegraph.
Of course, those pesky EU emissions targets might also have some bearing on the decision.
The latest Gallardo LP 560-4, shown above, is just one example of how Lamborghini plans to keep building supercars while lowering the company's overall carbon footprint. Thanks to direct injection and a faster gearbox, Lambo bumped the V-10 up 40 horsepower to 552 hp, added full-time all-wheel drive and brought the 0-60 time down to 3.7 seconds -- all the while reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 18 percent.
According to the Telegraph, future technologies may include weight reduction, start/stop and hybrid technology - something it hinted at when it unveiled the Estoque sedan concept last year - as well as biofuels. The rooftop plant will cover over 180,000 square feet and produce 1,582 megawatts of electricity each year.
All of this might not be enough to help the carmaker meet strict EU emissions standards that, as written, may apply to future fleets. While carmakers who create fewer than 10,000 vehicles a year will be allowed to negotiate more lenient emissions targets, the standard targets will apply to even boutique carmakers that are part of larger groups. Since Lamborghini is part of the VW group, the Murcielago and Gallardo get lumped in with the Jetta and the A6 and the company may have to pony up some Euro. That seems to have Lamborghini is rethinking the stand it took a little more than a year ago when it stated flatly, "We will never meet the emissions that are asked for."
No matter the motivation, we're excited for Lambo's offerings in the next few years. After all, we love supercars, and we always welcome engineering challenges that lead to faster cars and lower emissions.
Photo: Lamborghini
