Earlier this month, a very important step forward was made in this regard as Lamborghini unveiled a striking concept mock up, dubbed ‘Terzo Millennio’, at EmTech MIT Conference, a bold new design that looks to the future of supercars.

This visionary concept physically imagines design and technology of tomorrow through a possible future Lamborghini electric supercar, which aims to deliver the most emotional and ultimate driving experience.

To plan its path, Lamborghini defines the requirements of the third millennium in terms of energy storage and innovative materials, aiming to lead them to a radical innovation in collaboration with two laboratories of the MIT: the “Dinca Research Lab”, led by Prof. Mircea Dinca, Department of Chemistry, and the “Mechanosynthesis Group”, led by Prof. Anastasios John Hart, Department of Mechanical Engineering.

In addition to the energy storage systems and the innovative materials for the vehicle’s body, Lamborghini also aims to address the future of the supercar in the powertrain and vehicle architecture, in the sound and emotion, while sustaining the visual appeal and the breath-taking performance.

It is about creating new concepts to shape the future of sports cars, facing what is impossible today to shape the reality of tomorrow. This design concept sets the path to realize this vision and marks the first step towards a future electric super sports car.

Terzo Millennio is radical in the energy management and in the body and extreme in the architecture and design, in line with both Lamborghini culture and a third millennium which requires new concepts, innovative solutions and the adoption of electrified powertrains.

To plan its path to the electric supercar, Lamborghini defines the requirements of the third millennium in terms of energy storage and innovative materials to secure the most emotional and ultimate driving experience and the Terzo Millennio has been developed through four pillars: Energy, Innovation in Materials, Powertrain & Vehicle Architecture, Sound & Emotion.

ENERGY

The sports car of the future uses electricity instead of gasoline. Electric systems generate high efficiency and offer several interesting characteristics like the possibility to recover kinetic energy and to deliver huge peaks of power. In order to take the most from the opportunities offered by electrification, the accumulation system must be power-oriented and symmetrical, to allow high performances and the greatest energy recovery possible.

To harvest this opportunity, today’s batteries are not enough and a big leap forward is needed: Lamborghini aim is to develop an innovative supercapacitor able to close the gap with conventional batteries in terms of energy density, preserving an outstanding power density.

INNOVATION IN MATERIALS

Lamborghini aims to reduce weight and to increase the availability of electric energy using structural electric energy storing composites as a rechargeable battery. The target is to improve the nanomaterial technology, diffusing nano-charges in CFK-based panels able to store electric energy and in the meantime to form the body and structures of the car.

At the same time, the project aims to combine the technology to monitor continuously the whole carbon fibre structure, both visible and invisible, with the concept of health-monitoring: the goal is to provide for the Terzo Millennio the ability to conduct its own health-monitoring, to detect cracks and damages that might occur after accident, throughout its substructure, while limiting or reducing to zero the risks correlated to the presence and propagation of cracks in the carbon fibre structure.

POWERTRAIN & VEHICLE ARCHITECTURE

One of the most interesting advantage of every electric powertrain is to feed with energy a system made of several electric machines, just through wires. Lamborghini aims to use this opportunity to generate torque directly into the wheels, letting the body of the vehicle free to be shaped by the needs of design and aerodynamics.

The challenge to be faced here is to develop a technology suitable to increase the power density of the in–wheel electric motor to the level a 4WD super sports car deserves, keeping the weight of the unsuspended masses under control. The opportunities in terms of weight, aerodynamics and design are so huge that it worth investigating for feasibility of further development.

SOUND & EMOTION

The adoption of an electric power train requires to define a sound able to substitute the one of today’s V12. A deep investigation is needed with the purpose of assessing the opportunities given from the new powertrain, looking for every opportunity to generate the sound of the Terzo Millennio.

The design is the expression of brand new aerodynamics and architecture. Every detail is designed to make the flow of the wind stream perfect. Lamborghini tried to approach the electrification process in an unconventional way, with a concept car which is radical in the energy management, in the body, in the architecture and in design, in line with Lamborghini culture.