Lamborghini doesn’t get much coverage on this website, and with its lineup of supercars being some of the worst offenders when it comes to gas mileage that’s easy to see why. However, Lamborghini is taking major steps to change its reputation, with some of its more recent actions previously being unheard of in the supercar segment.

We are, of course, talking about Lamborghini’s decision to add engine stop-start and cylinder deactivation to its range-topping Aventador LP 700-4, boosting its mileage by about 7 percent. While this may seem trivial on a car that the EPA rates at 11/17 mpg city/highway and 13 mpg combined, it shows that Lamborghini is conscious of the impact its cars have on the environment.

In fact, the automaker has set its own internal goal of reducing its average CO2 emissions 35 percent by 2015, compared with 2009 levels. This is something all Volkswagen Group brands are committed to, though Lamborghini is particularly focused in this area.

The automaker sees boosting its environmental credibility as a company-wide task and is working on improving the efficiency of its entire operations. Another initiative was the installation of photovoltaic solar cells, which has already helped reduce the CO2 emissions of its factory by 30 percent.

Looking further forward, the question of a hybrid Lamborghini comes to mind. Close rivals Ferrari and Porsche plan to launch new hybrid supercars as early as next year, and we could be seeing a third in the form of the McLaren P1, but Lamborghini has a different view here.

Its CEO Stephan Winkelmann said at the recent 2012 Paris Auto Show that hybrid technology, in its current form, won’t be fitted to any Lamborghini supercars as the technology is simply too big and heavy. That doesn’t mean the automaker is completely ignoring hybrid technology, however.

Instead of offering it on its supercars, Lamborghini may offer it as an option on a production version of the 2012 Urus SUV concept. The new Lambo SUV is yet to be given the green light for production, though if it is approved we should expect to see it in showrooms no earlier than 2017.

Speaking with Motor Authority, a spokesman for Lamborghini said something like the Urus would be the right type of vehicle for a Lamborghini hybrid.

Furthermore, with Lamborghini’s parent company Audi planning to launch a new range of plug-in hybrids in 2014, it’s clear the technology is already available to the Italian firm. Now it just needs the right platform to install it in.

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