Electric attack – 3nd episode
The fact that e-cars bring an astonishing torque to the road provides, in addition to the necessary avoidance of fossil fuels, an attractive further argument for the electrification of drive units. Especially for brands whose rapid acceleration is an important part of their DNA. This is Mate Rimac’s domain.
Mate Rimac – the shooting star with unprecedented acceleration
Mate Rimac founded his car company in 2009, at the tender age of 21. He had already made a name for himself before. As a high school student, Mate won local, national and international awards for innovation and electronics with the iGlove, a device that replaced a keyboard and a mouse. But his real passion has always been cars.
When the engine breaks down on his BMW E30, the technical prodigy installs the electric motor of a forklift. Mate Rimac converts his BMW E30 into an electric-powered race car the e-M3. He tweaks it until he gets 600 hp out of the machine. The idea of an electric supercar is born. Rimac Automobili is registered as a company in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia.
Start-up capital – a crazy idea
That money could be made with electrically powered sports cars was a downright crazy idea at the time. Especially in Croatia, where there never was an auto industry. The last thing that alternative drive technologies were associated with was sporty driving. But Rimac believed in his idea of competitive sports cars with electric drive. His mainspring was his fascination with technology.
The idea is gaining momentum
In the beginning, funds were scarce. The first big order came from two princes from the Emirates who had heard of Rimac’s converted sports car and had commissioned the development of a new model. The collaboration broke up when the princes demanded that the company move to Abu Dhabi. Financial difficulties forced Rimac to find new sources of income and he began to position his company as a developer and supplier for other car companies. This business still accounts for around two thirds of sales and is intended to be the mainstay of the company in the long term. The exclusive super sports cars, of which only a few dozen are produced and whose sales price exceeds the million mark, serve to a certain extent as an advertising medium for in-house developments.
Success number one: Concept One
The Concept_One: With an 800 kW motor and 1600 Nm torque, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and is considered the first electric super sports car. Eight vehicles were sold by October 2014.
The Rimac Nevera is considered the fastest and most powerful electric car for the road.
Success number two: Nevera, the fastest e-car worldwide
1408 kW, 2360 Nm maximum torque, from 0 to 100 km / h in 1.97 seconds, from 0 to 300 km / h in 9.3 seconds. Four motors for four wheels. Each of Nevera’s wheels are independently driven by one dedicated electric motor which channels torque accordingly to give unprecedented control and agility..
A most promising manufacturer
«Almost all cars are based on something – an existing platform, powertrain, electrical architecture or something else. With the C Two, we started from the ground up and tailor-made all systems and components, which gave us incredible freedom to optimize all aspects of the car to the last detail.» Mate Rimac, CEO of Rimac Automobili.
Rimac also distinguishes itself as a broad-based supplier: Supplier of technology and components for the electric Porsche Taycan. Supplier of the powertrain of the Pininfarina Battista, which has the same performance values as the Nevera and is based on the same vehicle. Supplier of the hybrid drive for the upcoming Aston Martin super sports car, the Valkyrie. Supplier ofhe battery system for the Koenigsegg Regera. Rimac expects sales of € 100 million in 2021. For the IPO in 2022, the company is aiming for a valuation of € 5 billion. Once again: unprecedented acceleration.
Inspired by rimac-automobili.com
