[Aika Auto Aika Interview Original]
Under the general trend of global car companies are transforming to electrification, the every move of supercar/ultra luxury brands such as Lamborghini is particularly interesting, on the one hand, how the special attributes of brand DNA and its products continue to continue in the tide of electrification; on the other hand, the high risk brought about by the huge investment of transformation should be avoided for such manufacturers with small production capacity and sales scale. More attention naturally raises a lot of questions, but fortunately, Aika Motors was invited to interview Mr. Francesco Scardaoni, head of the Asia Pacific region of Automobili Lamborghini. Mr. Francesco Scardaoni was very candid about Lamborghini's new electrification product timeline, the risks of electrification transformation, and the strategic planning of the Chinese market.
Francesco Scardaoni, Head of Automobili Lamborghini Asia Pacific
Interview date: January 25, 2022
Interviewee: Mr. Francesco Scardaoni, Head of Asia Pacific at Automobili Lamborghini
First, Urus has contributed to the sales growth of Lamborghini
Media: In 2021, Lamborghini's sales in China grew rapidly under the circumstance that the overall automobile market was not very clear, what were the main reasons for this achievement?
Francesco Scardaoni: Lamborghini has been outstanding in the Chinese market for many years for three main reasons.
The first is that Lamborghini's products are extremely attractive and very suitable for the Chinese market. The Lamborghini Super SUV Urus combines the outstanding performance of a supercar with the comfort and versatility of an SUV, making it a great success in the Chinese market.
In 2021, Urus accounted for 60% of Lamborghini sales, which is indispensable to the sales growth of Lamborghini.
The second point is that we have adopted a successful marketing strategy, lamborghini's marketing strategy fully serves the needs of customers, such as our customers' preference for small-scale driving experience activities to create small social circles that are familiar to each other, and Lamborghini launches corresponding activities in this regard. Lamborghini is also very happy to adopt new technologies, such as implementing digital marketing strategies. At the beginning of the outbreak in 2020, we responded quickly and began to use our digital marketing strategy to launch four new car launches online. Through the adoption of a range of digital technology tools such as augmented reality, virtual reality and online configurators, Lamborghini has been able to maintain close communication with customers, media and fans during the pandemic. That's why when the market reopens, our brand continues to win the market.
Customers prefer small-scale driving experiences to create small social circles that are familiar with each other, and Lamborghini has launched a variety of targeted activities.
Third, Lamborghini's dealer network is also constantly refining, providing customers with better service. In China, Lamborghini continues to strengthen dealer training to better accompany customers throughout lamborghini's pre-sales and after-sales journey.
Thanks to the above series of initiatives, the brand continued to achieve excellent performance, and sales in 2021 hit a record high. In addition, the number of orders in 2021 has nearly doubled compared with 2020, and orders have covered almost all of this year's production capacity, and it is expected that the brand will continue to perform well in 2022.
Media: In China, the Urus model is very popular with young people, what is the current sales share of this car in China? What is the share of new car sales? Are sales in China consistent with the rest of the world?
Francesco Scardaoni: Lamborghini's sales in China are similar to global sales: Urus accounts for 60% of new car sales and supercars account for about 40%.
Second, the fourth new model: four-seat pure electric GT
Aika Motors: Urus has achieved great success in both the global and Chinese markets, will Lamborghini invest more in SUV models and launch new models?
Francesco Scardaoni: Urus is very popular in the Chinese market and around the world. At the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, the Urus concept car made its debut. According to the feedback at the time, Lamborghini had foreseen that Urus would shine in the Chinese market, and it was.
Lamborghini's fourth product line will be a pure electric four-seat GT model that inherits the essence of Espad and will be launched in 2025.
According to the electrification plan, Lamborghini will develop a fourth product line, but it will not be an SUV model. The brand's existing product line can be found in the brand's history, and the company has launched many classic supercars since its inception, as well as the first SUV LM002, as well as the GT model Espadda. Today, Lamborghini's lineup includes supercars and super SUVs, except for the 2+2 models. Therefore, from 2025 to 2030, Lamborghini will launch a fourth product line, the first pure electric model, which is also a 2+2 model.
Third, the investment of 1.5 billion euros is just the beginning
Aika: Mr. Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, put strategic robustness first when summarizing the reasons for the success of Lamborghini sales in 2021. Lamborghini's decision to transition to electrification and invest 1.5 billion euros is the largest investment it has ever made. Now, whether in China or around the world, there are other options for future energy forms such as hydrogen power. Is it risky for Lamborghini to invest heavily in electrification? How do you view hydrogen power?
Francesco Scardaoni: The €1.5 billion investment is only for the hybrid transition phase by 2025, which will require continuous investment in the launch of pure electric models after 2025. Any investment is potentially risky, but Lamborghini has been investing heavily in research and development to create models that meet customer expectations, perform better than the previous generation, and contribute to emissions reductions.
1.5 billion euros is only an investment in Lamborghini's full line of products to the transition stage of hybridization by 2025, and the launch of pure electric products after 2025 will require continuous investment. (Pictured is the Lamborghini Sant'Agata Bolognese plant)
As a company of smaller size and production, these investments are not small for Lamborghini. But that's why Lamborghini is able to fully meet the needs of its customers, create better-performing models and meet its commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2025. We know that more and more young customers want to buy models from green and sustainable brands. In the Chinese automotive market, the construction of ecosystems is receiving more and more attention, and the development of new energy solutions is at the forefront of the world.
Lamborghini launched the hybrid supercar Sián in 2020.
Lamborghini has always adhered to the concept of "not competing for the first, only the best" in the face of electrification planning. Therefore, the plan to launch a pure electric model after 2025 will give Lamborghini more time to better develop its own electric solutions. In addition, we will also be more open to investigate and evaluate the development of other technologies, such as the possibility of using synthetic fuels in plug-in hybrid systems in the future.
2023: Aventador's successor is the first hybrid model / 2025: the first all-electric model
Media: How does Lamborghini continue to pass on the brand's identity while adhering to energy efficiency standards?
Francesco Scardaoni: Lamborghini Electrification Plan "Towards the Heart of Taurus" is divided into three phases: the current stage is the first step, paying tribute to and sticking to the internal combustion engine model. The second step, the hybridization of the current product line (by the end of 2024), is expected to launch the first hybrid model in 2023, that is, the successor model of the Aventador, and thereafter, the hybrid models of the Urus and the next generation of Huracán will be launched successively. From 2025 to 2030, the first pure electric model will be launched. By 2025, Lamborghini expects to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% to meet customer needs and increasingly stringent emission requirements in various countries.
Lamborghini will launch its successor to the Aventador in 2023. (Pictured is Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae)
We wanted to ensure that the new hybrid model had better handling and driving passion than the previous model while adhering to the Lamborghini brand DNA, which was not an easy goal to achieve, and the introduction of the pure electric model was more challenging for lamborghini - we wanted customers to immediately recognize the Lamborghini model when they sat in the car, which needed to ensure that it had excellent performance, excellent handling, excellent acceleration and top speed, extraordinary level of craftsmanship and luxury, in addition, Balancing the size and weight of the battery and power units on an electric model is also a challenge. But Lamborghini is confident in this and believes that through the efforts of the R&D team, we will surely launch a pure electric model that meets the brand DNA.
Fifth, China's ultra-luxury sports car market will continue to grow / Lamborghini customers are more mature
Media: In 2021, Lamborghini's global sales increased by 13% year-on-year, and sales in the Chinese market also grew rapidly. In the future, will the market demand for supercars increase? What has changed in Lamborghini's customer profile as the market has changed?
Francesco Scardaoni: China's ultra-luxury sports car market will continue to grow, the number of supercar enthusiasts will continue to increase, and more and more consumers will choose to drive supercars in their daily lives as a commuting tool for commuting to and from work. In addition, the Lamborghini Super SUV Urus is popular for combining the performance of a supercar with the versatility and versatility of an SUV. We believe that Lamborghini's market demand in China will continue to grow.
Lamborghini customers are more mature in their average age and more environmentally conscious.
After the launch of Urus, Lamborghini's customer profile slowly changed, with our customers becoming more mature in average age, but overall our customers are younger. In addition, many consumers today want their lifestyles and cars to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable, so Lamborghini hopes to create models with better performance than the previous generation in the path of electrification, while contributing to emission reduction.
Sixth, for the electrification transformation: "do not compete for the first, only do the best"
Media: Lamborghini will launch its first all-electric model after 2025. Why did you choose 2025 as the turning point? In the transition from hybrid to pure electric, what kind of plans will Lamborghini plan for the proportion of these two models in the next few years?
Francesco Scardaoni: Lamborghini has always adhered to the concept of "don't be the first, only do the best", believing that more development time will help us develop solutions that are better and fully demonstrate the DNA of the Lamborghini brand, ensuring that the model we launch is a classic masterpiece. So, this is a point in time determined based on the company's strategy and product planning.
According to our planned product lineup, by 2025 we will launch hybrid models with three existing product lines, and launch a pure electric model between 2025 and 2030, so in terms of model share, the hybrid version will be the majority.
Countach has a special significance/ no other classic car limited edition will be launched for the time being
Aika Cars: The limited edition Countach LPI 800-4 model is quickly sold out once it is launched, will such good market feedback prompt Lamborghini to launch more limited editions of classic models such as miura and diablo in the future?
Francesco Scardaoni: The limited edition Countach LPI 800-4 was chosen because the Countach model has a very special meaning for Lamborghini and the design community as a whole, and it has even changed the design language of many industries. Since its release in 1971, Countach has brought inspiration to designers in many industries. At the same time, Countach also officially laid the classic design language of Lamborghini, such as scissor door design, large air intakes and very sharp edges. So, we introduced the Countach LPI 800-4 as a tribute to this classic model.
The 112-unit 2022 Countach LPI 800-4 sold out quickly, but Lamborghini did not continue to launch a classic model limited edition.
The reason is simple, Countach has extraordinary significance for Lamborghini and the entire automotive design community.
For other models like the Miura and Diablo, Lamborghini has no plans to launch a limited edition. We believe brands need to be constantly innovating and focusing on the development of new products and technologies in the future.
Lamborghini will open new dealers in Wenzhou, Suzhou and Tianjin.
Media: Lamborghini is sinking in the market, will the third-tier cities become a new growth point for the brand? What are your expectations for sales in 2022?
Francesco Scardaoni: Lamborghini has moved into some third-tier cities in order to bring them closer to their customers. Previously, customers in third-tier cities needed to go to other nearby cities if they wanted to buy Lamborghini. Therefore, Lamborghini really wants to provide more customers with a near and complete brand experience, providing a series of services such as optional, purchasing and after-sales maintenance that meet the positioning of ultra-luxury brands. We will continue to refine our dealer network and continue to observe and select more potential third-tier cities.
Lamborghini plans to open new dealers in Wenzhou, Suzhou and Tianjin in 2022.
This year, Lamborghini plans to open new dealers in wenzhou, Suzhou and Tianjin.
Based on the current order volume, we are very confident that we will set a new sales record in China in 2022.
Lamborghini helps car owners drive vehicles safely and promotes the culture of motor sports through driving academies and track day activities
Aika Cars: Many lower-priced pure electric vehicles can also provide very large horsepower. What do you think of the fact that horsepower is getting cheaper? After users buy some high-horsepower electric vehicles, many brands often do not provide driving training for them, resulting in safety hazards, how do you think about this problem?
Francesco Scardaoni: Many lamborghini models have a lot of horsepower, such as the Aventador SVJ, which can provide nearly 800 horsepower. Correspondingly, the Lamborghini brand often provides owners with driving experience activities such as track days and driving academies, so that owners can understand the details of model development and driving skills, help owners experience Lamborghini in a safer way, and promote the culture of motor sports.
Editor's note: The information about the successor of Espada and the successor of the big bull Aventador is certainly exciting, but the sentence that impressed me most about Mr. Francesco Scardaoni is Lamborghini's attitude towards the transformation to an electrification strategy - "don't be the first, just do the best". For a smaller supercar manufacturer like Lamborghini, these eight words not only contain a sober understanding of themselves, but also an accurate judgment of the timing and rhythm of strategic transformation. It is most important to leave some more time for yourself to ensure that this outstanding supercar brand can complete the transformation steadily in the tide of electrification and continue to write the glory of the next nail.
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