Pagani Is Abandoning EV Research – To Focus On V12 Supercars

Horacio Pagani announced at the news to Autocar at last month’s Milan Monza motor show in Italy that the company has given up efforts to build an EV.

They found out that its electric supercar would need a 600-kilogram (1,322-pound) battery, which is more than half the Huayra R’s total weight, which tips the scales at 1,070 kg (2,350 lbs.).

Horacio believes that an electric supercar should be about more than raw performance, which is already achievable today. For example, the Kia EV6 GT delivers 577 horsepower (430 kilowatts) and can hit 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in a supercar-like 3.5 seconds. The challenge, said Horacio, is making an EV exude the emotion of a gas-powered car. This is impossible to achieve with heavy batteries.

Horacio wanted to build a 1,300-kg (1,866 lbs.) EV but told Autocar that it was not possible. Instead, Pagani will continue to produce V12-powered supercars that are sourced from Mercedes-Benz. The company announced in 2019 that it would use the Mercedes V12 through 2026, and the engine will power the new Pagani C10 that debuts in September.

Pagani’s plans to continue with V12 won’t meet any regulatory issues in the European Union anytime soon. The EU announced earlier this month that it would extend the deadline for supercar makers to switch to zero-emission powertrains from 2029 to 2035. This should lead to lighter, more efficient battery technology, making it more viable for supercars.

Horacio noted that the company would continue to invest in research and development because he knows how customer tastes and market conditions can change.