Rimac Automobili
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryAutomotive
Founded2009 (2009)
FounderMate Rimac
HeadquartersSveta Nedelja, Croatia
Products
Number of employees
1,500[1]
ParentBugatti Rimac[2]
WebsiteRimac-Automobili.com

Rimac Automobili (pronounced [rǐːmats automobǐːli], \'Ri-mats\) is a Croatian automotive manufacturer headquartered in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia, that develops and produces electric sports cars, drivetrains and battery systems. The company was founded in 2009 by Mate Rimac. Rimac Automobili's first model, the Concept One, was the world's fastest production electric vehicle.[3] While manufacturing and marketing high-performance vehicles under its own brand, Rimac also develops and produces battery packs, drivetrain systems, and vehicles for other companies. During the 88th Geneva International Motor Show in March 2018, the company unveiled its second model, the Rimac Nevera.

History

Founder Mate Rimac at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show

The groundwork for the company was laid in 2007 as a hobby garage activity of Mate Rimac.[4][5] Working on his own, he converted his BMW 3 Series (E30) to incorporate an electric powertrain and subsequently gained attention from the press and investors.[5] A significant part of the early financing came from angel investors and the sale of proprietary patents.[5]

Rimac Automobili was founded in 2009[6] in Sveta Nedelja, near Zagreb, Croatia, where suitable facilities were rented.[5] When he was 19 years old, Mate Rimac began converting an E30-M3 which served as his first test mule: "I owned an old BMW E30 (MY 1984) which I used for drift and circuit races. At one of these races, the gas engine suddenly blew up. At that moment, I decided to try building an EV. After one year or so the car was able to drive but I was not yet satisfied with the result. It was heavy, not very powerful and the range was very limited. For this reason, I started to gather a team of experts to develop our own components since I believed that the electric propulsion could give much more compared to what was available on the market. At that time, I already had a very clear vision of my ultimate goal. Today, hard work is making my dream come true."[7]

In 2018, Volkswagen Group subsidiary Porsche Engineering Group GmbH acquired a 10% stake in Rimac to form a development partnership, as part of its electrification process.[8][9][10] Mate Rimac commented: "This partnership now is an important step for Rimac on our way to become a component and system supplier of choice for the industry in electrification, connectivity and the exciting field of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems".[9] Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors jointly invested €80 million in 2019 and announced plans "to collaborate on the development of high-performance electric vehicles."[11] In 2020, Rimac recommended Infinum,[12] the largest Balkan software and design company, to Porsche that led to creation of the a joint venture Porsche Digital Croatia with an investment of €10 million.[13]

In July 2021, VW Group's Porsche and Rimac announced that they have agreed to create a joint venture that will incorporate Volkswagen's high-performance Bugatti brand as well as Rimac Automobili. The new venture will be called Bugatti Rimac. Parent company Rimac Group will have a 55% stake in the joint venture, while Porsche will hold a 45% stake in the company.[14] in June of that year, Porsche stated it was one of the participants in a new €500 million round of fundraising.[15]

Rimac Technology is 100% owned by the Rimac Group. Rimac Technology develops vehicle systems and technologies for many global OEMs.

In September 2023, Rimac Tokyo and Rimac Katowice were established.[16]

Models

e-M3

Rimac's first car was a converted 1984 BMW M3 called the Rimac e-M3, nicknamed the "Green Monster" by the designers working for the company. With a 0–100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration achieved in 3.3 seconds, it earned the title of fastest-accelerating electric vehicle in Category A, Group VIII (electric vehicle) and Class 3 (over 1,000 kg) in 2011. The "green monster" develops 442 kW (601 PS; 593 hp) and 900 N⋅m (664 lb⋅ft) of torque, reaches 100 km/h from a standstill in 3.3 s and has a top speed of 280 km/h (174 mph). Five development updates pushed the e-M3 to become the officially fastest-accelerating electric vehicle according to strict FIA rules.

  • Records set on 17 April 2011:
    • 1/8 mile: 7.549 s
    • 1/4 mile: 11.808 s
    • 1/2 km: 13.714 s*
    • 1 km: 23.260 s*
    • 1 mile: 35.347 s*

*Records subject to official FIA approval (pending)[7][17][18]

The original BMW went through five stages of reinvention and now, says Rimac, "it got faster, lighter and more reliable each time." At that point, once he realised how little of the original car remained, he decided to build a new and faster car from scratch.[19]

Ampster

The Ampster was a one-off electric-powered Opel Speedster.[20]

Concept One

Rimac Concept One at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show

The Concept One is an all-electric battery-powered sports car. With a curb weight of 1,850 kg, and a power output of 960 kW (1,305 PS; 1,287 hp), the Concept One can reach 100 km/h from a standstill in 2.6 seconds and continue to accelerate to a top speed of 355 km/h (221 mph). 92 kWh of energy in the battery modules deliver enough energy to permit 600 km of range.[21] The car was first unveiled in 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, when some parts were contracted to other companies.[22] The production version was introduced in 2016.[23]

A production of 88 units was initially stated,[24][25][26][27][28] which was later limited to 8 units, all of which were sold.[29][30] The first car was for Spanish company Applus+ IDIADA, called the Volar-e.[31][32] The second buyer is Paul Runge, one of the shareholders of Rimac automobili.[33][34]

The battery cells are supplied by Sony,[35] with wheels being supplied by HRE Performance wheels, developed in collaboration with Rimac.[36]

Almost all of the materials are produced in-house, and none of the critical components used in the vehicle are off-the-shelf.[5][37] The design team includes former designers from Pininfarina[5] and Magna Steyr;[37] the exterior of the car was designed by Croatian designer Adriano Mudri.[38]

Rimac's goal is to make the best electric sports car in the market. For this reason, the whole car is developed around the powertrain and battery-pack. Gear changes or clutches are not needed due to the electric drivetrain. The batteries are located under the floor of the vehicle together with the other heavy propulsion components, which leads to a low center of gravity and better handling. The battery charges fully in 30 minutes on a 200 kW power supply station, and can then operate the vehicle for around 510 km (320 miles). Rimac made eight Concept Ones.

Concept S

Rimac Concept S at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show

The Concept S is a lighter, more powerful and more aerodynamic, track-oriented update of the Concept One. The four electric motors can deliver 1,032 kW (1,403 PS; 1,384 hp), enabling the Concept S to accelerate from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 2.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 365 km/h (227 mph).[39]

At the 2017 Geneva Motor Show the company announced the establishment of official dealerships of its brand in Europe, North America and the Middle East, with dealers Manhattan Motorcars, PACE Germany and Al Zarooni Group.[40]

Nevera

Rimac Concept Two on display at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show
Rimac Nevera at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The successor to the Concept One, named Nevera (renamed from Concept Two, styled as C_Two), was unveiled at the March 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The car has an entirely new design with butterfly doors and various power upgrades. The four updated electric motors produce a total of 1,427 kW (1,940 PS; 1,914 hp) and 2,360 N⋅m (1,741 lb⋅ft) of torque. The carbon fibre body construction results in a total weight of 2,150 kg (4,740 lb), including the heavy battery packs. The Nevera claims to be able to accelerate from 0–97 km/h (60 mph) in 1.85 seconds and achieve a top speed of 415 km/h (258 mph).[41]

The car incorporates a fully independent torque vectoring system (R-AWTV) to improve handling and also includes many high-tech features such as a facial recognition system that would unlock the ignition only for the owner and adjust the car's settings according to the owner's mood. The car has a high-speed "drift mode", with an intelligent traction control system keeping the car under control. The Nevera will have Level 4 self-driving capability, according to Mate Rimac; it has eight cameras, a LIDAR, six radars, and twelve ultrasonic sensors. The production of the vehicle will be limited to 150 units.[42][43]

Rimac debuted the Nevera California edition at the August 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It comes in a one-off shade of blue, with new wheel design, and is supplied with six liters of champagne and two flutes in the boot of the car.[44]

Component manufacturing

Rimac Technology produces battery systems for Aston Martin's new sports car, the Valkyrie. The company also produces battery systems for Koenigsegg (specifically for the Regera), Jaguar E‑type Zero concept car and SEAT Cupra e-Racer concept car.[45] In 2018, it entered a technical partnership with Automobili Pininfarina, whose first car, the Battista, is said to be based on the same architecture and uses the same powertrain[46] as the Nevera.[47]

Rimac is also involved in the production of drivetrains and other components for race car drivers, such as Nobuhiro Tajima, with whom it debuted with the joint all-electric car "Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One" at the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The car finished the race in second position, ahead of all internal combustion engine cars.[48][49]

The Applus+ IDIADA Volar-E is also an example of a product developed for another company.[50]

Other projects

In 2014, it was announced that Rimac Automobili is building the first fast electric yacht in the world.[51]

In 2015, Mate Rimac said they made a driverless car, which would mean that the car has fifth-level autonomous driving. He also said that they are making personal watercraft (hovercraft). They are making 300 of them in 2015, and the following year would make over 1000. They are testing them in a lake near Sveta Nedelja. In the same interview he said they were working on a project that will require an airfield, and on a flying car.[52]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Rimac's Key to Success Is To Keep Them Guessing". Newsweek. 5 July 2022. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "Rimac Automobili and Bugatti Begin Operating Under New Company: Bugatti Rimac". Rimac Automobili. 2 November 2021. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  3. ↑ Johnson, Bailey (5 September 2012). "World's first million-dollar electric supercar". US: CBS News. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  4. ↑ "Mladi Bosanci i Hercegovci koji su oduševili svijet u 2013. godini" [The young Bosnians and Herzegovinians who delighted the world in 2013]. 24sata (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wittenberg, Simon (October–November 2012), "$1 Million Rimac Concept", Luxurious Magazine, pp. 90–92, archived from the original on 15 March 2016, retrieved 1 December 2012
  6. ↑ "About us". Rimac Automobili. Archived from the original on 7 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Rimac Automobili test mule breaks world records". Rimac Automobili. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  8. ↑ "Sudski registar - Podaci o poslovnom subjektu" [Submission of the business entity] (in Croatian). Croatia: Ministarstvo Pravosudra Republike Hrvatske. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Porsche takes a stake in the Croatian technology and sports car company Rimac" (Press release). Porsche. 20 June 2018. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  10. ↑ Savov, Vlad (20 June 2018). "Porsche accelerates EV supercar ambitions with investment in Rimac". The Verge. US. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  11. ↑ Russell, Jon (14 May 2019). "EV startup Rimac scores $90M investment from Hyundai and Kia". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Rimac vrijedi 2 milijarde eura. "On više ne može pasti, ovo je posao desetljeća"". www.index.hr (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  13. ↑ Telegram.hr. "Porsche i Infinum u Zagrebu otvaraju centar gdje će razvijati softvere za aute, zaposlit će stotinu ljudi". Telegram.hr (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  14. ↑ Kacher, Georg (5 July 2021). "Bugatti, Rimac and Porsche announce joint venture". Car (magazine). Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  15. ↑ Hawkins, Andrew J. (1 June 2022). "Porsche strengthens ties with electric supercar startup Rimac in new funding round". The Verge. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  16. ↑ "Rimac opens in Japan and Poland". croatiaweek.com. Croatia Week. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Mate Rimac's e-M3 launches itself into FIA record books". Autoblog. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  18. ↑ "1984 Bmw e-m3 by rimac". www.topspeed.com. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  19. ↑ Scott, Katie (13 September 2011). "Croatian entrepreneur unveils 190mph electric supercar | WIRED UK". Wired UK. Archived from the original on 17 May 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  20. ↑ "Auto Klub - RIMAC AMPSTER Puno lakši i brži od Tesle Roadster". www.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 5 August 2013. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  21. ↑ Lopez, Jonathan (25 February 2015). "2017 Rimac Concept_One Review @ Top Speed". Top Speed. UK. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  22. ↑ "Samoborac izradio najbrži električni auto na svijetu". www.vecernji.hr. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  23. ↑ Lambert, Fred (24 February 2016). "Rimac will debut the "production version" of the Concept_One in Geneva [New Pictures]". Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  24. ↑ "Rimac Concept One za svega 740.000 eura - Novosti - Automotorisport". www.automotorisport.hr. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  25. ↑ "Rimac u Frankfurtu predstavio fenomenalni Concept One". Dnevnik.hr. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  26. ↑ "Investitorima sam se obvezao do 2020. ostati u tvrtki i zadržati 50% vlasništva". www.poslovni.hr. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  27. ↑ Vandezande, Luke (2 May 2012). "Rimac Concept One Open for Order: Production Limited to 88 » AutoGuide.com News". Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  28. ↑ "2011 Rimac Concept One". Top Speed. 7 May 2012. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  29. ↑ "2018 Rimac Concept_One Review, Trims, Specs and Price". CarBuzz. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  30. ↑ "Rimac Concept One, get the facts, figures and the lowdown on the all-electric hypercar". dgit.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  31. ↑ Arhiva (25 April 2013). "CONCEPT_ONE POSTAO VOLAR-e Preimenovali Rimčev električni bolid i uzeli EU milijune - Jutarnji List". www.jutarnji.hr. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  32. ↑ "Domaći uspjeh: Hrvatska izvozi prvi automobil u povijesti". Večernji list (in Croatian). 6 January 2013. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  33. ↑ "Dr. Paul Runge, oftalmolog iz Floride, kupio Rimčev Concept One s 1088 konja". autostart.24sata.hr. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  34. ↑ "Sudski registar - Podaci o poslovnom subjektu". sudreg.pravosudje.hr. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  35. ↑ APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATION 2017 Model Year PART 1 HRMAV0.00MDP. 4 April 2017. p. 18. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  36. ↑ "Road to Rimac". HRE Performance Wheels. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  37. 1 2 Lane, Richard (6 September 2012). "Rimac Concept_One". Green Car Design. UK. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  38. ↑ "Posuđeni novac vraćam očevoj tvrtki s kamatama, ni kunu nisam dobio na poklon" [I'm repaying the loan from my father's company with interest, I didn't get any money for free]. Vecernji (in Croatian). Croatia. 15 March 2015. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  39. ↑ Yoney, Domenick (1 March 2016). "Rimac Concept_S is One amped up supercar". Autoblog. US. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  40. ↑ "Rimac Automobili at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show" (Press release). Rimac Automobili. 8 April 2017. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  41. ↑ Lambert, Fred (6 March 2018). "Rimac unveils new all-electric hypercar with specs just as crazy as Tesla's new Roadster". Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  42. ↑ Steve Dent (6 March 2018). "Rimac unveils the 1900 hp Concept Two hypercar". Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  43. ↑ Wesley Wren (30 January 2018). "RIMAC CONCEPT TWO: Here's Your Electric Supercar Teaser". AutoWeek. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  44. ↑ Horncastle, Rowan (21 August 2018). "The Rimac C_Two has gone blue and boozy for Pebble". Top Gear. UK. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  45. ↑ Petrány, Máté (5 July 2018). "Seat's Electric Race Car Has 680 HP From Rimac". Road and Track. US. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  46. ↑ Autocar: 1900bhp Pininfarina Battista EV can hit 217mph | Autocar, access-date: 9. maaliskuuta 2019
  47. ↑ Duff, Mike (25 April 2018). "Pininfarina Will Build Its Own Version of the Rimac EV Hypercar". Car and Driver. US. Archived from the original on 4 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  48. ↑ Gitlin, Jonathan M. (4 June 2016). "1500-hp electric cars racing up the side of a mountain: We're going to Pikes Peak". Ars Technica. US. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  49. ↑ Burt, Matt (2 June 2015). "Rimac eyes Pikes Peak electric car record with 1455bhp racer". Autocar. UK. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  50. ↑ Domenick Yoney. "New Applus Volar-E is an electric supercar with Rimac roots, courts controversy [w/video] - Autoblog". Green.autoblog.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  51. ↑ "NOVI POSLOVNI POTEZ MATE RIMCA Gradi prvu brzu električnu jahtu na svijetu - Jutarnji List". www.jutarnji.hr. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  52. ↑ N1 (2 June 2015). "N1 Pressing: Mate Rimac (1.6.2015)". Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2019 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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