Rimac begins production of its $2.5 million Nevera hypercar EV – TechCrunch

The $2.5 million Rimac Nevera all-electric hypercar has begun rolling off the meeting line, launching on the world stage because the quickest manufacturing automobile and an emblem of the Croatian EV maker’s superior battery expertise.

The smooth, low-slung 1,914-horsepower two-seater is the primary mannequin to check the power of the November merger between French supercar maker Bugatti and the hypercar division of Rimac Automobili, a fast-growing EV startup that counts as one among Croatia’s two unicorns.

To date, the Nevera posts spectacular figures. The corporate claims that it might probably speed up from zero to 60 mph in 1.85 seconds — sooner than another manufacturing automobile — and that its 150-unit manufacturing run is offered out.

However the success of the seven-figure coupe is probably much more essential to Rimac’s different enterprise, the fledgling Rimac Expertise subsidiary that provides superior EV expertise and elements to mainstream automakers, from Porsche to Pininfarina. Rimac’s area of interest will probably be supplying battery expertise particularly round software program optimization, superior driver help techniques and power storage.

The corporate’s small-batch hypercars seize consideration, however the tech subsidiary permits Rimac to scale its enterprise forward of an eventual IPO. Founder and CEO Mate Rimac mentioned in June that the tech subsidiary will finally produce tens of 1000’s of EV elements every year.

The automaker will produce components for the Nevera at Rimac’s personal amenities, which goals to assist the corporate take management of its provide chain whereas offering a testbed to develop battery-electric techniques. Rimac mentioned it spent greater than two years redesigning the Nevera’s powertrain and in addition developed a next-generation battery system, inverter, gearbox, motor, management techniques and infotainment system for the automobile.

A $537 million Sequence D spherical has supplied the corporate with sufficient cash to fund its growth plans. The deal, which valued the corporate at $2.2 billion, contains funding from Goldman Sachs, SoftBank Imaginative and prescient Fund 2 and Porsche, a longtime investor that now holds a 20% stake within the firm.

Rimac will use the cash to construct a $200 million, 25-acre campus for Rimac’s Zagreb, Croatia, headquarters, the place it can transfer manufacturing of the Nevera subsequent 12 months. The funds will even go towards doubling Rimac’s present workforce and opening new workplaces and amenities all through Europe.