The partnership brings together the record-breaking hypercar, the Rimac Nevera, with IONITY’s ultra-fast, reliable, and green charging network.

Owners of the Nevera – the fastest accelerating production car in the world, with the highest charging power available in a passenger vehicle, limited to 150 vehicles – will benefit of eight years of unlimited free charging at all IONITY stations located across 24 European countries.

“When people think of Rimac, they think of the record-breaking performance that the Nevera delivers, as well as the groundbreaking technologies at the heart of the company.

Yet, the Nevera was primarily developed as a hyper GT, rather than a track-focused car – it is a user-friendly hypercar. The collaboration with IONITY allows us to take this experience to the next level.”

Mate Rimac – Founder and CEO of Rimac Group

Powered by Rimac’s in-house developed drivetrain and a 120kWh lithium manganese nickel battery pack, the Nevera delivers a WLTP* range of 490km and 500kW charging capability.

This remarkable feature of engineering, combined with IONITY’s award-winning Halo charger with a charging capacity of 350kW, allows a 0% to 80% battery top up within 25 minutes.

“So, IONITY’s extensive charging network is a perfect match for Rimac. IONITY’s HPC technology guarantees a fast and reliable charging experience across Europe, ensuring that pit stops are as short and effortless as possible,” added Mate Rimac.

“IONITY has set the standards in ultra-fast charging and a seamless user experience across Europe. The partnership with Rimac perfectly reflects our endeavor for performance, reliability, and sustainability. It is based on common values and the pioneering work we do in our respective fields to enable and advance electric mobility.”

IONITY’s pan-European ultra-fast charging network includes more than 500 stations strategically placed along Europe’s highways to enable long-distance travel across the continent. The network is open to vehicles of all brands and constantly being expanded with new locations, additional charging points, solar roofs, and adjacent services to improve the on-site charging experience.”

Michael Hajesch – CEO of IONITY

Beyond providing an outstanding en-route charging experience for Nevera owners, IONITY will also install an HPC charging station at the state-of-the-art Rimac Campus nearby Zagreb, Croatia, which is currently under construction. The IONITY six-charger hub will be accessible 24/7 to the public as well as visitors of the campus.

Moreover, to further enhance the high-power charging infrastructure on the campus, additional chargers will be built across the remaining areas of the campus. Some of these chargers are scheduled to be installed later this year, ensuring their availability for the launch of the first phase of the Rimac Campus in 2024.

Upon completion of phase one in 2024, the production site of the Rimac Campus, which covers an impressive 70,000 m2, will serve as a global hub for Rimac components and vehicles. In the years following, the campus will undergo expansion, encompassing an expansive 100,000 m2, to incorporate the company’s corporate HQ and Research & Development (R&D) center, as well as many amenities.

Built to be sustainable, carbon neutral and geared around its 2,500 employees, the campus will offer the public the chance to enjoy a Rimac brand experience center as well as retail space, restaurant, and various events on site whilst topping up their vehicle’s batteries at the ultrafast IONITY chargers.

To celebrate the collaboration, Rimac and IONITY will come together this week for a Rimac Nevera x IONITY Tour across Europe. Starting at the Rimac Factory in Zagreb, Croatia, and taking some of the best routes in Europe on the way to the finish point in Saint-Tropez.

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The collaboration will see the two companies join forces to manufacture battery cells in Europe from 2027 in an agreement that will address the pressing need for sustainable energy solutions and bolster the local European supply chain. EVE will focus on cell manufacturing while Rimac Technology will focus on the development and high-volume production of a battery module and pack platform using the cells.

Rimac Technology’s 46xx platform

Central to the alliance is the production of battery cells used for Rimac Technology’s 46xx platform. Rimac Technology already has a series of nominations for large volume projects with large European OEMs that will use this platform, which creates high-performance battery systems at competitive cost and fully customizable configurations.

The solution meets the stringent demands of the industry offering class-leading energy density, customizable cell-to-pack solutions, and an advanced battery management system.

One of the key advantages of 46xx cylindrical cells lies in their alignment with evolving regulations regarding thermal propagation because the cylindrical format lends itself to optimal thermal management which is crucial for the safety and reliability of electric vehicles.

EVE Energy is one of the largest primary lithium battery manufacturers worldwide and brings a lot of experience in battery cell technology to this partnership. Its dedication to advancing lithium battery solutions aligns perfectly with our vision of transforming the electric vehicle and energy storage sectors. We’re thrilled to announce this collaboration that secures a long-term reliable partner for our 46XX platform.”

Quotes from the bosses

MATE RIMAC

FOUNDER AND CEO OF RIMAC GROUP

“The Rimac name is synonymous with innovation and a passion for pushing the limits of what is possible in the automotive industry. We are excited to join forces with Rimac Technology to redefine the future of battery systems production. By combining our strengths, we can create batteries that meet the highest performance and efficiency standards.”

JINCHENG LIU

FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, EVE ENERGY

By establishing a local, European supply chain for advanced battery solutions, Rimac Technology and EVE are raising the bar for sustainability and efficiency in the industry and across the continent.

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• Rimac Technology launches Rimac Energy to accelerate the transition towards a sustainably powered planet. The move sees Rimac leveraging its expertise in making market defining electric vehicle technology to create the next generation of stationary Energy Storage Systems (ESS).
• Rimac Energy’s ESS is built upon a novel electrical architecture, which enables significant performance, safety, and availability advantages, including up to 50% reduced energy losses and 40% smaller system footprint. Insights into the technology will be revealed later this year.
• The Rimac Energy product portfolio includes utility-scale ESS, commercial & industrial applications, and highly integrated battery buffered charging solutions. All products are fully designed, developed, and produced in Europe.
• Rimac Energy will produce its pilot systems for selected customers this year with commissioning in 2024. High volume ESS production shall begin in 2025 at the Rimac Campus in Croatia, scaling to more than 10GWh of annual production.

This marks a major milestone for the company, as it expands beyond its market-leading EV technology and introduces innovative stationary energy storage systems. These stationary solutions are essential in realizing the full potential of renewable power generation and driving the decarbonization of our energy networks.

The Rimac Energy team has been steadily built as a specialized team within Rimac Technology over the last 18 months and now consists of 60 dedicated employees – all of whom currently work on its first generation of stationary ESS and pilot applications with select customers.

Leveraging Rimac’s renowned expertise in EV technology, Rimac Energy applies the same engineering philosophy and design know-how to stationary energy storage applications. As a result, Rimac Energy has created a novel battery architecture that reduces efficiency losses by up to 50% whilst decreasing the system footprint by up to 40% compared to current state-of-the-art solutions. Additional technological benefits include improved cycle life, built-in redundancy for increased availability, as well as competitive material and installation cost.

Rimac Energy’s Director, Wasim Sarwar, commented:

“At Rimac we have always been driven by innovation and a passion for pushing the limits of what is possible in the automotive industry. However, we recognize the importance of stationary storage solutions to power our planet sustainably. Given our track record in innovative battery technology, we believe we will play a vital role in building Europe’s future energy ecosystems, elevating it on the global stage.”

Initially, Rimac Energy will provide solutions for large commercial, industrial, and utility-scale applications, with battery-buffered solutions for fast and mega-watt charging already underway. The company currently has several customer projects in discussion, including a pilot with a leading renewable energy company to provide battery storage solutions for their solar and wind power plants. These pilot systems are expected to be produced by the end of this year, and commissioned in 2024. Mass manufacturing is set to start in 2025, with manufacturing capacities continuously scaling up into the double-digit GWh-scale.

Rimac Group founder and CEO Mate Rimac stated:

“There is an urgent need for clean energy infrastructure to support the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid by providing storage and balancing capabilities. Given our head start in EV technology and dedication to sustainability, this path feels like a seamless progression for us. Our team is truly excited about creating solutions that make clean energy more accessible, as we strive to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and foster a greener future.”

Rimac Energy’s unique technology is being developed and manufactured at Rimac’s facilities on the outskirts of Zagreb, Croatia and will be revealed later this year.

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Widely regarded as the ultimate test of hypercar straight line performance, the 0-400-0 km/h (0-249-0 mph) record is a test of acceleration, aerodynamics, top speed and stopping power.

And now the Nevera is the undisputed hypercar champion, with a new record time of 29.93 seconds – over a second quicker than the previous holder.

On a test track in Germany, the Nevera secured a total of 23 independently verified speed records and – as well as its recent title for fastest top speed of a production electric car – the Nevera now holds the title for most performance records broken in a single day. It effortlessly smashed existing benchmarks, running again and again under full throttle conditions without a single reliability issue or any significant loss of performance.

The records were broken at the Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP) facility in Germany using its 4.0km (2.49-mile) straights, and independently verified by Dewesoft and RaceLogic. Both 3rd party verifiers had on-site teams to support the record braking activities and to ensure that their equipment is in perfect running order. During its record-breaking day, the Nevera even outperformed its own official specifications, recording 0-60mph in 1.74 seconds (compared with 1.85 seconds). All acceleration records were completed with a standard one-foot rollout and equipped with road-legal Michelin Cup 2 R tires on non-prepped asphalt.

 RIMAC NEVERA WORLD RECORDS MEASURING RESULTS

Rimac Nevera looking good

For its historic day, this particular Rimac Nevera wore a livery created by the Rimac design team, inspired by the Rimac BMW e-M3, the brainchild of Mate Rimac and the car that inspired Mate to create Rimac Automobili. Back in 2011, the e-M3 thrust Rimac into the limelight by setting a number of Guinness and FIA-approved all-electric speed records. And now history repeats itself.

For its historic day, this particular Rimac Nevera wore a livery created by the Rimac design team, inspired by the Rimac BMW e-M3, the brainchild of Mate Rimac and the car that inspired Mate to create Rimac Automobili. Back in 2011, the e-M3 thrust Rimac into the limelight by setting a number of Guinness and FIA-approved all-electric speed records. And now history repeats itself.

Mate Rimac, Founder of the Rimac Group said: “Growing up I always looked at the cars that made history moving the bar for performance, in awe of the kind of revolutionary technology they brought to the road. That is what is driving me from day one – to develop new technology that redefines what is possible. Today, I am proud to say that the car we’ve created can get to 400km/h and back to 0 in less time than it took the McLaren F1 to accelerate up to 350km/h. And not only that, but it can do it again and again, breaking every other performance record in the process. If you had a Nevera and access to a track, you could do it too.”

“When we set out to engineer the Nevera, our performance targets were incredibly ambitious, and we’ve now managed to overshoot all of those. What I’m most proud of though, is that this isn’t a car purely designed for straight line performance. The Nevera can go from breaking records to driving over 300 miles on a charge, refilling from 0-80% in less than 20 minutes and keeping the most demanding drivers in the world engaged. The Nevera is a fully rounded next-generation hypercar that has been praised time and again by the world’s media for reinventing the world of performance. Not just faster than traditional competitors, but, surprising for a fully electric car, engaging and capable too.”

Nevera Advanced battery system

Key to the Nevera’s speed is its advanced battery system, powertrain and software, all developed in-house at the Rimac Group. The front and rear powertrains – each composed of two individual motors – provide power to each wheel individually.

At the rear, a 1MW dual inverter enables 900Nm and 470kW per motor, while an entirely bespoke front powertrain is designed to deliver optimum power and control.

All systems are overseen by a complex web of in-house developed electronic control units, working in conjunction with an NVIDIA Pegasus-based supercomputer to calculate and send output to the four powertrain systems 100 times a second.

The combination of all these systems, and the software that controls them, is known as Rimac All-Wheel Torque Vectoring 2.

The Rimac Nevera is limited to 150 examples and it is currently being built on the outskirts of Zagreb, with deliveries ongoing to customers all over the world

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The first US-based Rimac Nevera comes finished in a Gunpowder Gray paint with pearlescent finish, paired with Gunmetal Infinitus wheels and gloss black calipers. The interior showcases a full Alcantara trim style with subtle green highlights.

“The US often leads the world when it comes to embracing new innovations in automotive performance. We’re witnessing this phenomenon with the Nevera as American buyers are flocking to secure their place in history. Congratulations to our first US customer, who had the foresight to recognize the Nevera’s immense potential during its early development. They are now rewarded with the incredible honor of being the inaugural Nevera driver in the USA, and the proud owner of the fastest-accelerating road car in the world.”

Rimac Nevera comments

Hendrik Malinowski
Bugatti Rimac Commercial Director

“I am honored to have delivered the vehicle personally to our first US clients. As more people witness the incredible performance and groundbreaking technology of the Nevera, we see a growing number of enthusiasts signing up for this unparalleled opportunity to become the early adopters and proud owners of such a market-defining vehicle. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Brian Miller, owner of Manhattan Motorcars, for his unwavering support since 2017. Together, we are writing a new chapter in automotive history. “

Roni Kert

Head of Sales, Rimac Automobili

The Nevera was recently certified as the ultimate record-breaking hypercar, smashing 23 acceleration and braking records in a single day, including, 0-100mph in 3.2 seconds and the new hypercar benchmark: the 0-400kph(249mph)-0 test, in 29.93 seconds.

“It’s an honor for us to deliver the first Rimac Nevera in the country to our client. We’ve worked closely with the Rimac Automobili team in Croatia to develop a process that ensures that a customer’s world-class experience with us doesn’t end as soon as they drive away in their car. We have exclusive events, personalized service and a team trained and assessed by Rimac engineers in Croatia to ensure that owning a Nevera is as extraordinary as driving one.” 

Paul Dumont

General Manager, Manhattan Motorcars

With an extensive network of dealers stretching from coast to coast across the USA, including Manhattan Motorcars, Rimac is making its mark in North America. The dealer network also extends to Canada and Mexico, catering to a growing clientele. Limited to just 150 examples worldwide, production and deliveries of the Nevera are currently underway. Bringing the thrill of Rimac’s hypercar to customers around the globe

More information on Rimac Nevera can be found HERE

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Finished to reflect Rimac standards, including a cutting-edge Nevera configurator, the Brussels showroom fuses state-of-the-art tech with atmospheric design and lighting aesthetics that tap into the core of Rimac’s DNA.

The complete Rimac experience in customizing, ordering and taking delivery of the Nevera – and future Rimac hypercars – has been carefully embedded into the ethos of the new showroom. As part of the collaboration with D’Ieteren, it will provide full aftersales support for Rimac owners, utilizing Rimac’s own diagnostic tools and in-house-developed fully digitized aftersales architecture.

The opening ceremony was attended by key Rimac Group executives, including CEO, Mate Rimac, Rimac Head of Sales, Roni Kert and Bugatti Rimac Managing Director Hendrik Malinowski, as well as David Favest, General Manager for Rimac at D’Ieteren.

contemporary showroom

“This new contemporary showroom is another addition to the growing Rimac network,” said Malinowski. “Rimac had an outstanding 2022 and by opening the doors to our new home in Brussels, we head into 2023 with total confidence and positivity. The next 12 months will represent another important development for Rimac.”

He added, “In D’Ieteren Automotive, we could not have wished for a better network partner for Belgium and Luxembourg. D’Ieteren’s experience and connections within the automotive and luxury space will help Rimac to realize an even stronger presence in the region.”

Mate Rimac added: “Further growth of our partner network comes at an important moment for the brand, as our all-electric Nevera hypercar is finding new homes around the world, delighting and surprising customers with its performance, power, and next-generation technology. Our immersive customer-focused space in Brussels, the symbolic heartbeat of Europe, will introduce the brand to new clients, acting as the perfect physical touchpoint into the world of Rimac and the capabilities of the Nevera.”

David Favest, General Manager of Rimac Brussels said: “The opening of the first Rimac showroom in the heart of Europe is the tangible concretization of our path initiated two years ago with Rimac. Rimac represents the future of Hypercars and is totally aligned with D’Ieteren’s Vision of Future Mobility: connected, sustainable and inclusive. A quantum leap in the world of Hypercars in Belgium and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg!”

Rimac Expansion

With the opening of the Brussels showroom, D’Ieteren becomes the 23rd global dealer partner for Rimac Automobili, adding to the brand’s expansive footprint across Europe, America, the Middle East and Asia. Each partnership has been carefully hand-picked to deliver a world-class sales and ownership experience for customers, including intensive training for dealers’ technicians.

Developed to offer the next-generation hypercar performance, Nevera is officially both the fastest accelerating production car in the world and the fastest EV production car, marking a new era in the evolution of automotive performance. The Nevera’s 1,914hp is produced by four bespoke Rimac-engineered electric motors, enabling 0-60mph in just 1.85 seconds, and 0-100mph in 4.3 seconds. While it offers up performance unseen in all hypercars before it, it’s been designed to enable all-electric grand touring previously deemed near-impossible with present day technology. Designed, engineered, and built in-house at Rimac Automobili in Croatia, only 150 examples of the all-electric Nevera will ever be created.

To complement the opening of the new showroom, the Nevera will take pride of place on the D’Ieteren booth at the Brussels Motor Show from 14 to 22 January.

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The record-breaking feat follows on from the Nevera’s independently verified 8.582-second quarter-mile run in 2021, which made it the world’s fastest accelerating production car.

The Rimac team looked specifically for an oval with straights long enough to achieve the Nevera’s top speed, eventually settling on the Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Germany, with two 4km straights. Facilities where it is possible to achieve speeds of over 400 km/h, are very few and far between as it is very rare that a car can even achieve this performance.

The Nevera was set into its top speed mode, creating an aerodynamic profile that balances drag and downforce to ensure stability at high speed. Fitted with road legal Michelin Cup 2R tires, and with the oversight of a Michelin technician to check their condition, the record-setting run got underway.

Rimac Nevera driver

Behind the wheel was Miro Zrnčević, Rimac’s Chief Test and Development Driver. It was his challenge to get the perfect entry onto the straight from the track’s curved sections to give the car the best possible chance of reaching V-MAX. As the car levelled out of the banking, travelling around 250kph (155mph), Miro unleashed the full power of the advanced four-motor Rimac-developed powertrain and battery pack, catapulting Nevera well into the 400kph range.

It wasn’t until Miro had lifted off the throttle, bringing the Nevera back down to more normal speeds safely, that the news came over the radio. 412kph (258mph) – exactly as simulated many years ago. Fast enough to make Nevera the World Record holder for fastest EV production car and also the fastest car ever recorded at Automotive Testing Papenburg. The top speed was measured using Racelogic V-Box, a high-precision GPS-based measurement device. The 412kph top speed was a target set by the Rimac team when the car was first unveiled as the C_Two at the Geneva Motor Show in 2018, and only now – after a collective 1.6m hours of development – was it verified.

Top Speed

Miro Zrnčević, Rimac’s Chief Test and Development Driver: “To travel at 412kph, or 258mph, means travelling at a third of the speed of sound. Simply achieving that alone in a road car is incredibly complex, but in Nevera we have created a car that can travel long distances on a single charge, can tackle tight and twisting race tracks and can drift as well as break straight-line speed records, both for acceleration and V-MAX. I’ve driven Nevera since it first turned a wheel and to see the perfectly honed car that is today is a really emotional moment. The most important thing I have learned during the top-speed attempt is how composed and stable the car was – confirming that our aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics teams have done an amazing job.”

The Nevera is delivered to customers with a limited top speed of 219mph (352kph) but can achieve the 412kph (258mph) top speed in special customer events with the support from the Rimac team and under controlled conditions. As tires are under a huge amount of stress during such runs, most of the pre-cautions are directed towards making sure that the tires are properly set-up for such high speeds. Production of the Nevera is currently underway at Rimac’s HQ on the outskirts of Zagreb, Croatia, and the first cars are already with customers around the world.

Rimac Nevera Hypercar

Developed to offer next-generation hypercar performance, Nevera has delivered on its promise of setting a new paradigm. Now both the fastest accelerating production car in the world and the fastest EV production car, it marks a new era in the evolution of automotive performance, achieved using technology designed, developed and produced in-house at the Rimac Group.

The Rimac Nevera produces 1,914hp from four Rimac-designed electric motors, which propel the hypercar from 0-60 mph in just 1.85 seconds, and to 100mph in 4.3 seconds. Proudly sporting a name in honour of its homeland, a Nevera is an unexpected Mediterranean summer storm off the coast of Croatia. As such, the Nevera can transform from a comfortable, adept grand tourer, track-focused machine or top speed record-breaker in the blink of an eye.

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Prior to the car being sent to his home in Monaco, Rosberg made the trip to Rimac HQ in Croatia to catch up with Mate and to see the very latest developments within the Rimac Group first-hand.  

Production of the world’s first all-electric hypercar GT is now underway at Rimac’s new facility on the outskirts of Zagreb. The first year of production is already sold out. Almost every major component of the car is designed, engineered, and built at Rimac weeks or months prior to each car being finished, and installed in the last phase of production – the vehicle assembly which takes about five weeks per car.

Showcasing the broad range of customisation options available to customers, car #000 – set to be retained by Rimac – was finished in a bright Callisto Green with Sand Alcantara interior. For car #001, Nico has deliberately chosen a much more aggressive specification described when he first designed his car as the ‘full Batmobile spec’.

With Stellar Black paint, polished Vertex wheels and gloss black brake calipers, it’s perhaps the most menacing personality of Nevera possible. The interior is finished in all black Alcantara, with subtle ‘Nico Rosberg’ signature on the armrest plate marking the car 001/150. The first customer owned example of the Nevera will be based in the Principality of Monaco, Rosberg’s home, becoming the first all-electric hypercar in the sovereign state. 

Nico Rosberg has been a part of the Rimac journey since he first saw the C_Two concept – which would become Nevera – in person several years ago. He believed in Mate’s vision for the Nevera as a truly engaging and comfortable next-generation hypercar, capable of crossing continents and lapping racetracks, all on electric power. He became one of the very first customers.

Rosberg said: “Ever since I first met Mate and truly understood the genius behind Nevera, I knew I wanted car number one. For me, this car represents absolutely everything I could ever want.

It showcases the very best of innovative electrification technology, bringing it into a car designed literally from the ground-up to be not just incredibly fast – or the fastest – but really great to drive, too. I can’t wait to see what it can do.”

Following an 11-year career in Formula One that saw him crowned World Champion in 2016, Nico has embarked on a career as a sustainability entrepreneur and investor in green technologies. He is invested in more than twenty mobility start-ups as well as Formula E, while his all-electric Extreme E racing team – Rosberg X Racing are the Championship winners of 2021 and are leading the current season.

In 2019, he founded the Greentech Festival, a global platform for sustainable innovation and lifestyle. As of 2021, the event has been hosted in New York, London, Singapore as well as the city it was first established in – Berlin.

Mate Rimac, CEO of the Rimac Group, said, “When we first started designing the Nevera we set out to build a car that would impress even the best drivers in the world. Nico was on that list, and it’s a great feeling to know that someone who has mastered the most focused and cutting-edge motorsport in the world gets such a thrill from the car that we’ve created.

We’re all looking forward to following Nico’s journeys with the Nevera; all of his cars are used and enjoyed, which is exactly what we encourage our owners to do. And if anyone can test the limits of what we’ve built, it’s him. We’re proud to call Nico a friend and the first member of the rapidly expanding Rimac Nevera owner family.”

With the first customer car delivered, uniquely specified Neveras will now begin appearing on the streets of countries all over the world. Only 150 examples will ever be built, sold and maintained by Rimac Automobili’s global network of 25 dealer partners, stretching across North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia.

Even before this first customer delivery, the Nevera has already received global acclaim for its world-leading technologies and unrivalled performance. With 1,914hp, the Nevera is capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in 1.85 seconds, to 100mph in 4.3 seconds and can run the quarter mile in a world-record 8.582 seconds.

This year alone, Nevera has been named GQ’s Hypercar of the Year, Top Gear Magazine’s Best Electric Performance Car and Robb Report’s Best Hypercar.

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Already this year, the Nevera has been crowned Hypercar of the Year by GQ and Best Electric Performance Car at the Top Gear Electric Awards 2022. Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of the Rimac Group, also won Robb Report’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

As one of the leading voices in global luxury, Robb Report has been running the Best of the Best awards for 34 years, with the aim of shining the spotlight on people, brands and experiences who excel. The award winners are chosen by the editorial team, who seek to recognise the truly exceptional in a luxury market where exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail are a given.

And this year, the judges agreed that no other vehicle can match the next-generation performance and innovation from Rimac Automobili, writing: “The Rimac Nevera isn’t just the best hypercar we drove over the past 12 months; it’s a vehicle that permanently redefines the class in terms of what we should expect from this rarest and most extreme breed of automobile.

“Stats such as its crazy 1,914hp and 8.58 second standing quarter-mile time don’t begin to communicate the bizarre, disorienting experience of flattening the Nevera’s right pedal. The car seems to defy physics, its rate of acceleration increasing as it finds more grip, the four electric motors doling out precisely the limit of torque each tire can handle. Nothing comes close to what the Nevera delivers.”

In delivering the Nevera from concept to production, and for the rapid growth of the Rimac Technology business as well as the establishing of Bugatti Rimac, Robb Report also chose to award Mate Rimac, CEO of the Rimac Group, the Lifetime Achievement award at just 34 years old.

The judges said: “Usually, the rarefied few who hold sway over their professions are either hailed as rising stars or honored for their lifetime of achievement. Mate Rimac, the 34-year-old automotive disrupter, is already worthy of both.

“The entrepreneurial engineer’s vision and ability to deliver have put him in a very exclusive driver’s seat. With Porsche currently owning 24 percent interest in Rimac Automobili, the Volkswagen Group has appointed Rimac head of legendary ultra-performance and ultra-luxury automaker Bugatti, even changing the marque’s name to Bugatti Rimac as it transitions away from conventional engines.”

The Nevera is the fulfilment of Mate’s lifelong dream to build a globally homologated fully electric hypercar. It has already been widely acclaimed for achieving levels of road car performance that had previously been considered unattainable, with 0-60mph delivered in just 1.85 seconds and 100mph in only 4.3 seconds. Its 8.582-second quarter mile time saw it recently confirmed as the world’s fastest accelerating production car, with Rimac Automobili’s test drivers and engineers confident it could go faster still.

Designed, developed and manufactured in-house at Rimac Automobili’s base on the outskirts of Zagreb, the Nevera pays tribute to its heritage with a name drawn from its native language, signifying an unexpected Mediterranean summer storm off the coast of Croatia.

Mate Rimac, CEO of The Rimac Group, said, “Out of all the talents in our industry, it’s an incredible honour to be singled out by Robb Report for a Lifetime Achievement award. When we first started out in 2009, the idea of an electric performance car such as the Nevera was not taken seriously, but it had always been my dream to build a car like this and thankfully I now have a team of some of the most talented people in the industry that have helped me to achieve it. We didn’t realise quite how hard it would be to develop an entirely new type of car, completely bespoke from the ground-up, but doing things the hard way, allowed us to build Nevera with absolutely no compromises – and we’re glad to see the experts at Robb Report agree.”

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With daytime temperatures unusually warm, the Rimac team spent the time testing at night when temperatures were at their most extreme, fine-tuning systems like the ABS, ESP and torque-vectoring ahead of the delivery of the first production cars.

Having already undergone years of simulation and testing, the 1,914hp all-electric Rimac Nevera has already passed USA and EU homologation tests and is due to be delivered to customers throughout the world within the next couple of months. But to ensure every control system functions perfectly in all conditions, the Rimac team headed to Sweden to validate results they had previously achieved on the road and in climatic chambers.

It also provided an ideal opportunity to test out the Nevera on its recommended winter tires – Pirelli P Zero Winter. The tire is distinguished by a specific marking on the sidewall that testifies to the joint development work carried out by Pirelli in partnership with Rimac. The Nevera’s standard ‘summer’ tires are Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.

Miroslav Zrnčević, Bugatti Rimac Chief Test and Development Driver, said: “Testing on a low grip surface like this allows us to make consistent and accurate observations on how our systems are performing in low temperatures. Things happen much more slowly than they would do on asphalt, and we have nice, even, smooth handling tracks so we know the data we get isn’t affected by surface imperfections or temperature swings. After these two weeks of testing, we’re happy to see exactly the results we wanted to achieve. “

Mate Rimac, CEO of the Rimac Group, said: “For us, this cold weather testing process was an opportunity to put the final 0.1% of polish on the Nevera, ensuring it’s perfect as soon as our owners begin to receive them in just a couple of months. Even after two weeks spent at temperatures of about -15°C (5°F), and a fairly demanding testing regime, our validation prototype performed at 100% throughout, so we know that all our core systems can perform reliably even in extreme conditions.

“What we also wanted to develop was a car that could be driven and enjoyed equally by someone who isn’t the most experienced driver right up to a seasoned racer. Finding that balance of creating a rewarding, but safe, drive in a 1,914hp car with four independent electric motors while also building a chassis that delivers delicate on-the-edge adjustability has been our goal from day one, and as our final stages of testing come to close, I can confidently say that’s exactly what we’ve achieved with Nevera.”

Designed, engineered, and built in-house at Rimac Automobili, the Nevera is limited to just 150 units. Made possible by its 120 kWh, 6960-cell battery delivering 1914 hp and 2360 Nm of torque, Nevera achieves a top speed of 258 mph (412 km/h), a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 1.85 seconds, and a 0-100 mph (161 km/h) time of 4.3 seconds. It has been independently verified as the fastest accelerating production car in the world.

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