Lamborghini Debuts Terzo Millennio Concept

 The Italian supercar company has partnered with some very smart folks at MIT, and the result is an all-new, wildly innovative concept car, called Terzo Millennio. Italian for "Third Millennium," the electrically propelled machine would seem to point the way forward for Lamborghini design and engineering. In fact, chairman and CEO of Lamborghini, Stefano Domenicali, called the collaboration, "an important page in the future of the super sports car for the third millennium." Let’s get one thing straight right away, though, about that third millennium bit. The term is code for tech and design that could come to fruition in the distant future… not the next generation of Lamborghini. More on this in a bit.

 

The automaker has partnered with MIT for the development of advanced energy storage systems, as well as to push the envelope in terms of material science. Specifically, Professor Mircea Dinca from MIT’s Department of Chemistry and Professor Anastasios John Hart from the Department of Mechanical Engineering have lead the charge, along with Lamborghini’s R&D pros.

 

At a first glance, the results are fairly spectacular. The Terzo Millennio has been stripped to the core of a performance driving machine, with an ultra lightweight structure, totally optimized for aerodynamic efficiency, and allowing for just driver and passenger (both thrilled, no doubt). The design is brutally purposeful, similar in a way to the Aston Martin Valkyrie where non-essential space isn’t covered up with body panels, but rather exposed, granting the wind new pathways and us new sightlines. With electric motors housed in each of the four wheels, designers were freed up to work with far more of a blank canvas than would be possible with a conventional power train.

In fact, there’s nothing really conventional about how power is developed in the Terzo Millennio. Following on a somewhat limited use in the current Aventador, the team is proposing the use of advanced super capacitors and energy storage built integrally into the bodyshell of the vehicle. The goal is not only very high peak power, delivered to all four wheels, but also fast recharging, effective regeneration by way of kinetic energy, and far slower degradation by way of battery aging / cycling.

The Italian supercar company has partnered with some very smart folks at MIT, and the result is an all-new, wildly innovative concept car, called Terzo Millennio. Italian for "Third Millennium," the electrically propelled machine would seem to point the way forward for Lamborghini design and engineering. In fact, chairman and CEO of Lamborghini, Stefano Domenicali, called the collaboration, "an important page in the future of the super sports car for the third millennium." Let’s get one thing straight right away, though, about that third millennium bit. The term is code for tech and design that could come to fruition in the distant future… not the next generation of Lamborghini. More on this in a bit.

 

The automaker has partnered with MIT for the development of advanced energy storage systems, as well as to push the envelope in terms of material science. Specifically, Professor Mircea Dinca from MIT’s Department of Chemistry and Professor Anastasios John Hart from the Department of Mechanical Engineering have lead the charge, along with Lamborghini’s R&D pros.

 

At a first glance, the results are fairly spectacular. The Terzo Millennio has been stripped to the core of a performance driving machine, with an ultra lightweight structure, totally optimized for aerodynamic efficiency, and allowing for just driver and passenger (both thrilled, no doubt). The design is brutally purposeful, similar in a way to the Aston Martin Valkyrie where non-essential space isn’t covered up with body panels, but rather exposed, granting the wind new pathways and us new sightlines. With electric motors housed in each of the four wheels, designers were freed up to work with far more of a blank canvas than would be possible with a conventional power train.

In fact, there’s nothing really conventional about how power is developed in the Terzo Millennio. Following on a somewhat limited use in the current Aventador, the team is proposing the use of advanced super capacitors and energy storage built integrally into the bodyshell of the vehicle. The goal is not only very high peak power, delivered to all four wheels, but also fast recharging, effective regeneration by way of kinetic energy, and far slower degradation by way of battery aging / cycling.

THE SUPER SPORTS CAR OF THE FUTURE

 

Automobili Lamborghini looks to the future with a visionary approach, carrying our core values to extremes. Dictating the requirements of the third millennium, the Terzo Millennio combines energy efficiency and innovative materials to forge a path in the electric super sports car segment, guaranteeing the purest driving experience.

ENERGY

 

The power source is electricity instead of gasoline. Electrical systems are extremely efficient, allowing kinetic energy to be recovered to generate power. In order to exploit the opportunities offered by electric drive trains, the battery system must be symmetrical and oriented toward power in order to ensure high levels of performance and the greatest possible level of energy regeneration. Lamborghini aims to develop an innovative super capacitor that is able to fill the gap, in terms of energy density, with existing batteries.

MATERIALS INNOVATION

 

The design objectives include a reduction in weight and an increase in the availability of electrical energy through the use of composite structural materials for storing electricity, such as a rechargeable battery. The goal is to perfect nonmaterial technology, distributing nano charges into the CFK panels that comprise the vehicle’s body and components, which will therefore act as electrical storage devices.

 

VEHICLE ARCHITECTURE AND POWERTRAIN

 

Among the advantages of electrical propulsion system is the possibility to power a system of electrical components through the use of cables. Lamborghini intends to exploit this opportunity to generate torque directly at the wheels. The challenge consists of creating a technology that allows the power density positioned inside the wheels to be increased to the level required by an all-wheel-drive super sports car, while simultaneously keeping unstrung mass under control.

SOUND AND EMOTION

 

The adoption of an electric drive train demands the creation of a new sonic signature to replace that of the current V12 engine. Thorough investigation is required to assess the advantages deriving from the new power train, while leaving behind no opportunity to generate a voice unique to the Terzo Millennio. The visionary design is the fullest expression of a completely new technology, incorporating redesigned aerodynamics, architecture and power train.