Lamborghini unveils supercar with supercapacitors — most powerful Lambo ever produced

Lamborghini has its “most powerful car ever produced,” the Sián, and they did so by creating a novel hybrid powertrain with supercapacitors.

Supercapacitors are unlike electrochemical batteries. They can charge and discharge in just seconds, but the drawback is that most of them have low energy density and can’t store enough energy to be viable for a product like an electric car.

Some companies have been exploring hybrid supercapacitors, which are sort of a mix of batteries and supercapacitors, for potential use in electric vehicles.

Lamborghini, who hasn’t been quick to adopt electric technology, has been at the forefront of using supercapacitors in its supercars.

Now the Sián is the latest example of how the automaker is adopting the technology by being “the world-first application of a supercapacitor for hybridization.”

They describe the system:

The energy accumulation technology is a world first. Rather than a lithium-ion battery the Sián innovates supercapacitor application: a technology pioneered originally in the Lamborghini Aventador but dramatically developed to store ten times the power. It is three times more powerful than a battery of the same weight and three times lighter than a battery producing the same power. Located in the bulkhead between cockpit and engine it ensures perfect weight distribution. The electric system with the supercapacitor and e-motor weighs only 34 kg, thus it delivers a remarkable weight-to-power ratio of 1.0 kg/hp. Symmetric power flow ensures the same efficiency in both charging and discharging cycles: the most lightweight and efficient hybrid solution.

Combined with the V12 engine, the Sián delivers a total of 819 hp (602 kW) and has a top speed of “over 350 km/h.”

Stefano Domenicali, Automobili Lamborghini Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented on their new vehicle:

The Sián is a masterpiece in possibilities. Not only does the Sián deliver a formidable hyper-car design and engineering tour de force today, it augments the potential for Lamborghini as a super sports car brand for tomorrow and for decades to come, even as hybridization becomes more desirable and inevitably essential. The Lamborghini Sián represents the first step in Lamborghini’s route to electrification, and expedites our next-generation V12 engine. Its Sián moniker, meaning ‘flash or lightning’ in Bolognese dialect, denotes the first electrification of a Lamborghini production car and confirms our strong connection to the territory in which we operate. With the Sián, Automobili Lamborghini demonstrates its dynastic strength as a legendary super sports car brand for the future.

Here are a few images of the interior of the new Lamborghini Sián:

The supercapacitors are also extremely useful for the car’s regenerative braking system.

Due to the supercapacitors’ capabilities to recharge almost instantly, they can recuperate the energy from braking and always discharge full power when accelerating.

The result is the “fastest-accelerating Lamborghini ever,” according to the company.

They commented:

This makes the Sián the fastest-accelerating Lamborghini ever, achieving 0 to 100 km/h in less than 2.8 seconds. The improvement in elasticity maneuvers is even more evident. Traction force is improved by up to 10% in third gear and the 30 to 60 km/h acceleration time is improved by 0.2 seconds compared to the Aventador SVJ. In higher gears and lower speeds the electric motor increases traction force by up to 20%, reducing the 70 to 120 km/h acceleration by 1.2 seconds compared to the Aventador SVJ.

The Lamborghini Sián will be unveiled to the media and public at the Frankfurt IAA motor show 2019 in the next week.