Lamborghini To Experiment With Hybrid Technology, Biofuels, Start-Stop

LAMBORGHINI HAS ANNOUNCED that it intends to slash the CO2 output of its manufacturing operations by a huge 30 percent by 2010 and also aims to cut the CO2 emissions of its total line-up by 35 percent by 2015.

An enormous photovoltaic array atop the company's Sant'Agata assembly plant will supply more green energy for the factory, but what's of real interest is how Lamborghini intends to tackle the issue of vehicular emissions.

The Italian supercar manufacturer managed to slash the Gallardo's tailpipe emissions by 18 percent with the recent LP560-4, however that was achieved through conventional refinements of the existing V10 powerplant.

Lamborghini has still got some way to go before it can hit that 35 percent goal, and it's got a number of ideas already on the drawing board that may help.

Things like start-stop systems, biofuel compatability and (gasp!) hybrid powertrains are currently under consideration, and while such tech may be at odds with the whole supercar thing, Lamborghini is keeping an open mind.

Besides, with Ferrari already investigating the potential of hybrids (albeit as a 'performance-adder' rather than a fuel-saver), Lamborghini needs to do what it can to stay one step ahead.

Decreasing vehicle mass, reducing mechanical friction and boosting combustion efficiency of the full vehicle line-up are on the company's to-do list.

The Gallardo LP560-4 is the first Lamborghini product to feature direct-injection and a more efficient engine architecture, with these two changes - along with a modest reduction in weight - largely responsible for the car's improved fuel efficiency.

Big gains can be made through these refinements alone, but to hit its self-imposed 35 percent target Lamborghini is going to have to get creative.

There are no details on what models will debut any ground-breaking new technology, or even a timeline of when we can expect to see a truly tree-hugging Lamborghini surface.

The Estoque could be a good candidate for the 'green treatment', however with that project shelved for the time being it may be a number of years before we see anything in production-ready form.