Tags: #electric-vehicles
Whilst there is no shortage of would-be makers of electric hypercars, few of those who set out on that journey ever get near production. Rimac, however, is now the real deal as the first production Neveras have rolled off the production line in Zagreb, Croatia.
The Rimac Nevera has been five years in the making, launching last year but with no cast iron guarantee that it’d actually make production. After all, numerous niche EV makers have launched vehicles but it’s not all that hard to create a moving prototype; actually turning that into a production car is a completely different ball game.
Rimac, driven by founder Mate Rimac, has got there and the first cars are being built with #000 being retained by Bugatti Rimac as a demonstrator. It’s the same car that was shown at Goodwood in June this year – finished in Callisto Green with Graphite Vertex wheels and Sand Alcantara interior.
The first customer cars will be delivered within the next two months or so, with each taking five weeks on the production line. Once up to speed, Rimac hopes to build up to 50 cars per year albeit this year’s quota is already sold out which should see the brand on a good financial footing for continued success, especially given the two-million-euro price tag!
So, how has Rimac done it when so many other brands have failed, or are likely going to?
Perhaps the biggest thing going for Rimac is its founder. Mate Rimac is an engineer who started off his career converting a BMW E30 3 Series to electric. Engineering is at the heart of Rimac’s wider business and the components, solutions and technology that his companies develop has seen investment from the likes of Porsche and Hyundai-Kia pour in.
In return, Rimac works with, or supplies tech for high-profile car makers including the aforementioned brands as well as Jaguar, Aston Martin, Koeniggsegg and Pininfarina. This business model of becoming a successful engineering company before branching out into making its own hypercar means that Rimac has been able to develop all major components in-house.
This includes the battery system, inverter, gearbox, motor, control systems and much more. In fact, the Nevera’s powertrain has been redeveloped three times since the project began to ensure the production version is the best it can be. In production form, this means 1914hp, 0-60mph in 1.85 seconds, 0-100mph in 4.3 seconds and up to 340 miles to a charge. Speaking of charging, it’ll accept electrons at up to 500kW – the fastest charging speed of any car.
Rimac has also ensured that it can fulfil orders and provide the kind of ownership experience that buyers of a two-million-euro car expect. It has established bases in Europe, the USA, Middle East and Asia, bespoke to each market and fully trained to service the cars. Rimac can also monitor and diagnose issues remotely throughout the cars’ lifetime.
Mate Rimac, CEO of the Rimac Group, said: “The Nevera was developed with the intention to become the cutting-edge electric hypercar it is today, ready to thrill drivers and passengers in a way they have never experienced before. I’m very much looking forward to customers taking delivery of their brand-new, highly customized cars and hearing their stories of fun behind the wheel.”
Whilst we don’t go too crazy for ultra-expensive hypercars, the way Rimac has gone about creating and now producing the Nevera is to be celebrated.
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