Last week, Pagani debuted the roadster version of the Imola hypercar while simultaneously holding a major business event: the Asia-Pacific launch of the Utopia. Founder Horacio Pagani attended the premiere with his son Christopher and the pair answered questions from media representatives, telling Bloomberg that an electric hypercar from Pagani isn’t coming anytime soon. Why? We think you all know the answer.
Thanks mostly to the generous use of carbon fiber, the new Imola Roadster tips the scales at 2,776 pounds before adding all necessary fluids. In terms of weight, these figures put it in the supermini league but obviously, this is a mighty capable hypercar with a V12 engine under the bonnet.
In fact, low weight has always been among the most important advantages of Pagani’s vehicles, and switching to a battery electric powertrain, Horacio said, will have a negative impact on the car’s weight and overall performance. “It’s so different that you are losing a little bit of fun,” Horacio told the publication.
Last summer, a report from Autocar claimed Pagani had abandoned its EV research efforts, which it started in 2018. However, Horacio contacted us and told us the automaker would continue to invest in electrical technologies and develop batteries and electric motors for use in the future. But it seems that it will still be a while until the company releases a zero-emissions hypercar.
During the Utopia’s Asia-Pacific debut in Hong Kong, Horacio also discussed the automotive industry from a more global perspective. He was asked about the Chinese EV industry and said that “car prices are cheaper than European brands, and therefore the producers of European cars need to pay a lot of attention and put a lot of effort in to try to remain in this specific market and stay competitive.”
The country currently has the largest EV market on the planet and Horacio believes “there are a lot of opportunities for the Chinese brands in the EV segment and actually they are doing it very well when it comes to product and pricing.”