Rimac Automobili

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Rimac Automobili
TypePrivate
IndustryAutomotive
Founded2009; 12 years ago (2009)
FounderMate Rimac
HeadquartersSveta Nedelja, Croatia
Products
  • Electric sports cars
  • Electric car drivetrain systems
  • Battery systems
  • Gas-powered vehicles (starting in 2021)
Owner
  • Rimac Group (55%)[1]
  • Porsche AG (45%)[1]
Number of employees
850[2]
WebsiteRimac Automobili

Rimac Automobili (pronounced [rǐːmats automobǐːli], \'Ri-mats\) is a Croatian car 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. The Applus+ IDIADA Volar-E is an example[4] of a product developed for another company. 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.[5][6] 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.[6] A significant part of the early financing came from angel investors and the sale of proprietary patents.[6]

Rimac Automobili was founded in 2009[7] in Sveta Nedelja, near Zagreb, Croatia, where suitable facilities were rented.[6] When he was 19 years old, Mate Rimac began converting an e-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."[8]

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.[9][10][11] 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".[10]

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. The new venture will be called Bugatti-Rimac. Rimac will have a 55% stake in the joint venture, while Porsche will hold a 45% stake in the company.

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)[8][12][13]

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.[14]

Ampster[]

The Ampster was a one-off electric-powered Opel Speedster.[15]

Concept One[]

Main article: Rimac 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.[16] The car was first unveiled in 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, when some parts were contracted to other companies.[17] The production version was introduced in 2016.[18]

A production of 88 units was initially stated,[19][20][21][22][23] which was later limited to 8 units, all of which were sold.[24][25] The first car was for Spanish company Applus+ IDIADA, called the Volar-e.[26][27] The second buyer is Paul Runge, one of the shareholders of Rimac automobili.[28][29]

The battery cells are supplied by Sony,[30] with wheels being supplied by HRE Performance wheels, developed in collaboration with Rimac.[31]

Almost all of the materials are produced in-house, and none of the critical components used in the vehicle are off-the-shelf.[6][32] The design team includes former designers from Pininfarina[6] and Magna Steyr;[32] the exterior of the car was designed by Croatian designer Adriano Mudri.[33]

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).[34]

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.[35]

Nevera[]

Main article: Rimac 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).[36]

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.[37][38]

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.[39]

Component manufacturing[]

Rimac produces KERS hybrid 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.[40] 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[41] as the Nevera.[42]

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.[43][44]

Other projects[]

In 2014, it was announced that Rimac Automobili is building the first fast electric yacht in the world.[45]

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.[46]

In 2020, the company was reportedly in talks with the Volkswagen Group to acquire the Bugatti brand.[47] In July 2021, the company announced a 55% acquisition of Bugatti.[48] On November 1st, 2021 officially new company under the name Bugatti Rimac has started operating consisting of Bugatti and Rimac.[1]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Rimac Automobili and Bugatti Begin Operating Under New Company: Bugatti Rimac". Rimac Automobili. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Working and Living in Croatia: Foreign employees at Rimac open up | Croatia Week". 29 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020.
  3. ^ Johnson, Bailey (5 September 2012). "World's first million-dollar electric supercar". US: CBS News. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Wittenberg, Simon (October–November 2012), "$1 Million Rimac Concept", Luxurious Magazine, pp. 90–92
  7. ^ "About us". Rimac Automobili. Archived from the original on 7 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  8. ^ a b "Rimac Automobili test mule breaks world records". Rimac Automobili. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  9. ^ "Sudski registar - Podaci o poslovnom subjektu" [Submission of the business entity] (in Croatian). Croatia: Ministarstvo Pravosudra Republike Hrvatske. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Porsche takes a stake in the Croatian technology and sports car company Rimac" (Press release). Porsche. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  11. ^ Savov, Vlad (20 June 2018). "Porsche accelerates EV supercar ambitions with investment in Rimac". The Verge. US. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Mate Rimac's e-M3 launches itself into FIA record books". Autoblog.
  13. ^ "1984 Bmw e-m3 by rimac". www.topspeed.com. 16 October 2012.
  14. ^ Scott, Katie (13 September 2011). "Croatian entrepreneur unveils 190mph electric supercar | WIRED UK". Wired UK. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  15. ^ "Auto Klub - RIMAC AMPSTER Puno lakši i brži od Tesle Roadster". www.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 5 August 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  16. ^ Lopez, Jonathan (25 February 2015). "2017 Rimac Concept_One Review @ Top Speed". Top Speed. UK. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  17. ^ "Samoborac izradio najbrži električni auto na svijetu". www.vecernji.hr. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  18. ^ Lambert, Fred (24 February 2016). "Rimac will debut the "production version" of the Concept_One in Geneva [New Pictures]".
  19. ^ "Rimac Concept One za svega 740.000 eura - Novosti - Automotorisport". www.automotorisport.hr. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  20. ^ "Rimac u Frankfurtu predstavio fenomenalni Concept One". Dnevnik.hr. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  21. ^ "Investitorima sam se obvezao do 2020. ostati u tvrtki i zadržati 50% vlasništva". www.poslovni.hr. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  22. ^ Vandezande, Luke (2 May 2012). "Rimac Concept One Open for Order: Production Limited to 88 » AutoGuide.com News". Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  23. ^ "2011 Rimac Concept One". Top Speed. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  24. ^ "2018 Rimac Concept_One Review, Trims, Specs and Price". CarBuzz.
  25. ^ "Rimac Concept One, get the facts, figures and the lowdown on the all-electric hypercar". dgit.com.
  26. ^ Arhiva (25 April 2013). "CONCEPT_ONE POSTAO VOLAR-e Preimenovali Rimčev električni bolid i uzeli EU milijune - Jutarnji List". www.jutarnji.hr.
  27. ^ "Domaći uspjeh: Hrvatska izvozi prvi automobil u povijesti". Večernji list (in Croatian). 6 January 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  28. ^ "Dr. Paul Runge, oftalmolog iz Floride, kupio Rimčev Concept One s 1088 konja". autostart.24sata.hr. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  29. ^ "Sudski registar - Podaci o poslovnom subjektu". sudreg.pravosudje.hr. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  30. ^ APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATION 2017 Model Year PART 1 HRMAV0.00MDP. 4 April 2017. p. 18. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  31. ^ "Road to Rimac". HRE Performance Wheels. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  32. ^ a b Lane, Richard (6 September 2012). "Rimac Concept_One". Green Car Design. UK. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  33. ^ "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. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  34. ^ Yoney, Domenick (1 March 2016). "Rimac Concept_S is One amped up supercar". Autoblog. US. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  35. ^ "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.
  36. ^ Lambert, Fred (6 March 2018). "Rimac unveils new all-electric hypercar with specs just as crazy as Tesla's new Roadster".
  37. ^ Steve Dent (6 March 2018). "Rimac unveils the 1900 hp Concept Two hypercar". Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  38. ^ Wesley Wren (30 January 2018). "RIMAC CONCEPT TWO: Here's Your Electric Supercar Teaser". AutoWeek.
  39. ^ Horncastle, Rowan (21 August 2018). "The Rimac C_Two has gone blue and boozy for Pebble". Top Gear. UK. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  40. ^ Petrány, Máté (5 July 2018). "Seat's Electric Race Car Has 680 HP From Rimac". Road and Track. US. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  41. ^ Autocar: 1900bhp Pininfarina Battista EV can hit 217mph | Autocar, access-date: 9. maaliskuuta 2019
  42. ^ Duff, Mike (25 April 2018). "Pininfarina Will Build Its Own Version of the Rimac EV Hypercar". Car and Driver. US. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  43. ^ 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. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  44. ^ Burt, Matt (2 June 2015). "Rimac eyes Pikes Peak electric car record with 1455bhp racer". Autocar. UK. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  45. ^ "NOVI POSLOVNI POTEZ MATE RIMCA Gradi prvu brzu električnu jahtu na svijetu - Jutarnji List". www.jutarnji.hr. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  46. ^ N1 (2 June 2015). "N1 Pressing: Mate Rimac (1.6.2015)" – via YouTube.
  47. ^ "Volkswagen in talks to sell Bugatti brand to Croatia's Mate Rimac".
  48. ^ "Rimac and Bugatti Combine Forces in Historic New Venture".

External links[]

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