Rimac

Four permanent magnet electric motors. 1914hp combined output. 2360Nm torque instantaneous. AWD all-wheel drive. Individual motor control. Torque vectoring sophisticated. 120kWh battery pack. 550km WLTP range. 0-100 km/h 1.97 seconds world record. 0-300 km/h 9.3 seconds. 412km/h top speed. Quarter mile 8.6 seconds. 500kW DC fast charging. 80% charge 22 minutes. 4750mm length. 2745mm wheelbase. 2150kg curb weight. Two-seat hypercar. Carbon fiber monocoque. Active aerodynamics. 326kg downforce maximum. Croatian engineering excellence. Sveta Nedelja Croatia manufacturing. Limited production 150 units. Million-dollar hypercar. Technology demonstrator. Electric performance benchmark. Bugatti Rimac Group flagship.

Four electric motors. 1914hp output prototype. 2300Nm torque. AWD all-wheel drive. 120kWh battery pack. 0-100 km/h 1.85 seconds claimed. 412km/h top speed targeted. Carbon fiber construction. Active aerodynamics. Technology development platform. Geneva Motor Show 2018 debut. Nevera production basis. Performance envelope pushing. Electric technology showcase. Croatian engineering. Pre-production development. Customer feedback integration. Final specification refinement.

Four electric motors. 1224hp combined output. 1600Nm torque. AWD all-wheel drive. 90kWh battery pack. 0-100 km/h 2.6 seconds. 354km/h top speed. 330km range. Carbon fiber monocoque. Lightweight construction. 1850kg curb weight. Two-seat configuration. Croatian startup debut. Mate Rimac founder. Self-taught engineer. Converted BMW E30 origin. Concept One 8 units produced. Limited production extreme. Grand Tour appearance. Richard Hammond crash notable. Technology demonstration successful. Electric hypercar credibility established. Foundation for future products.

The synchronous permanent magnet motor that established Rimac's technological foundation. This liquid-cooled radial flux motor featured a hairpin-wound stator with 72 slots and neodymium-iron-boron magnets in a V-shaped arrangement for optimal flux concentration. The rotor used a carbon fiber sleeve to contain centrifugal forces at 6,200 RPM, while the stator employed direct oil cooling through hollow conductors. The motor achieved a peak power density of 5.2 kW/kg, producing 1,000 Nm of torque from zero RPM. The cooling system circulated 12 liters per minute of dielectric oil through integrated channels in the stator and rotor shaft. The inverter used silicon IGBTs switching at 10 kHz, with a DC-link voltage of 650V. Peak efficiency reached 97.8% across 80% of the operating range, with continuous power rating of 60 kW per motor. The complete unit weighed just 42 kg, establishing new benchmarks for power-to-weight in electric hypercars.

The evolution of Rimac's motor technology with enhanced thermal capacity and higher rotational speeds. This liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous motor featured a 12-pole/18-slot configuration with fractional-slot concentrated winding to reduce cogging torque and harmonic losses. The rotor employed a Halbach array for self-shielding magnetic fields and used samarium-cobalt magnets for superior thermal stability. The stator cooling used direct oil immersion with micro-channel heat exchangers, allowing sustained power delivery without derating. The motor achieved 7.1 kW/kg power density, with a maximum rotational speed of 7,800 RPM and peak torque of 1,200 Nm. The inverter transitioned to silicon carbide MOSFETs switching at 25 kHz, reducing switching losses by 60% compared to previous IGBT designs. Continuous power rating increased to 110 kW per motor, with peak efficiency of 98.2% achieved through reduced iron losses and optimized magnetic circuit design.

The groundbreaking axial flux motor that represents the pinnacle of Rimac's in-house motor design. This yokeless axial flux permanent magnet motor featured a dual-rotor single-stator configuration with 18 poles and a peak power density of 10.2 kW/kg. The stator used pressed-in copper hairpin windings with 30% improved slot fill factor, while the rotors employed high-grade neodymium magnets in a spoke-type arrangement. The motor's axial length was just 85mm, enabling unprecedented packaging flexibility. The cooling system used direct stator oil immersion with 360° spray cooling, capable of dissipating 6 kW of thermal loss continuously. The rotor design incorporated carbon fiber retention sleeves for operation up to 9,200 RPM, with peak torque of 1,400 Nm available from zero RPM. The integrated silicon carbide inverter operated at 800V architecture with switching frequencies up to 40 kHz, achieving system efficiency of 98.8% at typical operating points—the highest ever achieved in a production automotive application.

The torque-vectoring specialist motor designed for precise power distribution and vehicle dynamics control. This permanent magnet synchronous motor featured independent control of each front wheel with torque vectoring capability of ±1,200 Nm difference between sides. The motor used a 6-phase design with dual three-phase windings, each controlled by separate inverter banks for redundancy and fault tolerance. The rotor employed V-shaped magnets with flux barriers for optimal field weakening capability, enabling constant power operation from 4,000 to 9,000 RPM. The stator cooling used direct oil cooling with separate circuits for each winding set, while the rotor featured hollow shaft with internal oil passages for magnet cooling. The integrated brake system included a hydraulic release mechanism for drag-free coasting, reducing losses by 85% compared to conventional permanent magnet motor designs. Peak power reached 175 kW per motor with 92% continuous power capability, enabling repeated acceleration and regenerative braking without thermal derating.

The next-generation motor technology developed for Rimac's hypercar successors and technology partners. This liquid-cooled permanent magnet motor featured a 15,000 RPM maximum speed and revolutionary carbon composite rotor construction that eliminated the need for retention sleeves. The stator used square-section copper hairpins with 98% slot fill factor and ceramic insulation rated for 250°C operation. The cooling system employed two-phase evaporative cooling that could extract 12 kW of heat from the stator windings alone. The magnetic circuit used grain-oriented electrical steel with laser-etched domains to reduce eddy current losses by 45%. The integrated silicon carbide inverter operated at 1,200V DC link voltage with gallium nitride devices switching at 100 kHz. The complete motor-inverter unit achieved a power density of 12.8 kW/kg and peak efficiency of 99.1%—making it the most efficient automotive traction motor ever produced. Continuous power rating reached 210 kW with torque density of 45 Nm/kg, setting new benchmarks for electric propulsion technology.

The ultra-compact motor designed for applications with severe packaging constraints while maintaining Rimac's performance standards. This permanent magnet synchronous motor featured an outer rotor design with magnets mounted on the inner surface of the rotating shell, achieving a diameter of 280mm but just 60mm thickness. The stator used concentrated windings with 9 slots and 6 poles, optimized for torque density rather than maximum speed. The cooling system employed annular cooling jackets with micro-pin fin arrays that increased heat transfer surface area by 300%. The motor achieved 8.2 kW/kg power density despite its compact dimensions, with peak torque of 950 Nm and maximum speed of 5,500 RPM. The integrated inverter used direct-cooled silicon carbide power modules with sintered silver thermal interface materials. The complete unit weighed just 24 kg yet could deliver 125 kW continuously, making it ideal for torque vectoring applications and space-constrained electric vehicle platforms.

The revolutionary four-motor direct drive system that established Rimac as an electric hypercar pioneer. Each wheel featured a completely independent liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous motor coupled to a single-speed reduction gearbox with a precisely calculated 10.8:1 ratio. The system eliminated traditional differentials entirely, with torque vectoring achieved by precisely controlling each motor's output up to 100 times per millisecond. Each reduction gearbox used helical-cut gears manufactured from vacuum-arc remelted steel with surface hardness exceeding 60 HRC, while the aluminum housings featured integrated cooling channels that circulated oil at 12 liters per minute. The complete system could deliver 1,224 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque with torque vectoring responses faster than any mechanical system. Each independent gearbox weighed 28 kg and could handle the 306 hp from its dedicated motor while providing the precise control that made the Concept_One's handling revolutionary. This system demonstrated that electric powertrains could provide not just straight-line performance but unprecedented handling capabilities through individual wheel control.

The evolved two-speed all-wheel drive system that powers the Nevera, featuring the most power-dense electric drive units ever fitted to a production car. The front axle uses a pair of single-speed reduction gearboxes (one per wheel) with a 12.4:1 ratio optimized for low-speed acceleration and regenerative braking. The rear axle features two independent two-speed gearboxes with ratios of 11.98:1 for acceleration and 6.28:1 for high-speed efficiency. Each rear gearbox uses a dog-clutch engagement system that shifts in under 10 milliseconds at precisely 75 mph, with the shift coordinated between both rear units to maintain stability. The gear teeth undergo a proprietary 'Diamond Carbon' coating process that reduces friction by 23% while increasing surface hardness to 72 HRC. The aluminum housings are sand-cast and heat-treated to aerospace standards, with internal oil galleries that provide targeted cooling to gear meshing points. The complete system delivers 1,914 hp and 1,740 lb-ft of torque while providing four independent torque vectoring channels that can adjust power distribution 100 times per second based on 26 different sensor inputs.

The rear drive unit specifically developed for the Nevera's extreme performance requirements, representing the pinnacle of Rimac's transmission technology. Each unit contains a liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous motor producing 500 kW (670 hp) coupled to a two-speed planetary gearset. The gearset uses satellite gears manufactured from managing steel with REM super-finished surfaces achieving 0.05 micron roughness. The shift mechanism employs an electro-hydraulic dog clutch that can engage the second ratio in under 8 milliseconds without torque interruption. The differential is an electronically controlled limited-slip unit that can vary lockup from 0-100% based on steering angle, throttle position, and lateral acceleration. The complete unit weighs 89 kg and achieves 97.8% efficiency across the entire operating range. The lubrication system uses a dual-circuit design with separate pumps for gear lubrication and clutch actuation, while the thermal management system can dissipate 35 kW of heat during sustained track use. This drive unit enables the Nevera's 0-60 mph time of 1.85 seconds and top speed of 258 mph while maintaining reliability under repeated full-power launches.

The track-optimized version of the Nevera's transmission system featuring enhanced cooling and reinforced components for sustained circuit use. Each of the four gearboxes uses a reinforced gearset capable of handling 25% overload for up to 30 seconds, with the rear two-speed units featuring strengthened dog clutches that can withstand 500,000 shift cycles at full torque. The gear ratios are modified for circuit use, with the rear second ratio changed from 6.28:1 to 5.84:1 for improved acceleration out of corners. The lubrication system is upgraded with a high-flow pump that circulates 18 liters per minute of specialized synthetic fluid, while the cooling system uses a secondary refrigerant loop that can maintain gearbox temperature below 85°C even during sustained 1.5G cornering. The torque vectoring algorithms are optimized for track use, with the system capable of inducing deliberate oversteer or understeer to help rotate the car through corners. Each gearbox is hand-assembled and dyno-tested for 12 hours before installation, with laser alignment of all rotating components to within 5 microns TIR.

The weight-optimized front drive unit that contributes to the Nevera's perfect 48:52 weight distribution. This single-speed reduction gearbox uses a parallel-axis gear design with hollow-bored gears manufactured from titanium alloy that reduce rotating mass by 35% compared to conventional steel gears. The gear ratio is optimized at 13.2:1 to provide maximum torque for acceleration and regenerative braking, while the differential uses an open design with torque vectoring handled entirely by independent motor control. The aluminum housing is investment-cast with wall thicknesses as low as 3.5mm in non-structural areas, reducing weight to just 24 kg complete with fluid. The lubrication system employs a passive splash design that eliminates the need for a separate oil pump, while the gear teeth feature asymmetric profiles that reduce meshing losses by 18%. Each front drive unit produces 250 kW (335 hp) and operates with 98.2% efficiency, contributing to the Nevera's combination of all-wheel drive traction and hypercar handling balance.

The sophisticated cooling system that ensures consistent performance from Rimac's transmission systems during extreme use. Each gearbox is connected to a primary cooling loop that circulates water-glycol mixture through channels cast into the aluminum housing, maintaining operating temperature between 65-75°C. A secondary oil cooling loop uses a dedicated refrigerant-based chiller that can reject up to 45 kW of heat during track use. The system features three separate temperature zones with independent control: gear mesh points are maintained at 70°C for optimal lubrication, bearing journals at 65°C for clearance management, and the differential clutch pack at 75°C for consistent lockup characteristics. During DC fast charging, the thermal management system pre-warms the gearboxes to 40°C to ensure optimal efficiency when driving resumes. The system uses 18 temperature sensors and 4 flow meters to precisely manage heat rejection, with the control algorithm adjusting cooling flow based on GPS data anticipating upcoming track sections requiring maximum performance.

The sophisticated control software that coordinates all four transmission units to deliver the Nevera's revolutionary handling characteristics. The system processes data from 26 different sensors at 1,400 Hz, including individual wheel speeds, steering angle, throttle position, brake pressure, longitudinal and lateral g-forces, and even individual tire temperatures. Using this data, the system can calculate optimal torque distribution 100 times per second, with each motor controller receiving updated torque commands every 10 milliseconds. The software includes 12 different driving modes that fundamentally alter the transmission behavior, from 'Range' mode that maximizes efficiency by favoring the front motors to 'Drift' mode that deliberately creates oversteer by sending excess power to the rear wheels. The system also includes predictive functions that use GPS and camera data to anticipate corners and pre-emptively adjust torque distribution. During regenerative braking, the system can apply asymmetric braking force to individual wheels to enhance stability. This software represents the true intelligence behind Rimac's transmission systems, transforming raw electric power into precisely controlled performance.

Founded in 2009 by Mate Rimac—a Croatian entrepreneur and engineer whose converted BMW 3 Series electric project origins began as a self-funded garage startup—Rimac announced the radical Concept One electric hypercar in 2011, launching technology development focus on battery systems expertise and electric powertrain innovation. Component supplier expansion attracted Porsche investment in 2018 and Hyundai-Kia partnerships, growing technology supplier relationships with multiple OEMs before the stunning 2021 Bugatti acquisition formed Bugatti Rimac Group under Volkswagen Group relationship. This Croatian success story demonstrates small country global impact through established technology leadership in electric vehicle components and complete vehicle manufacturing, holding multiple world records while setting performance benchmarks as an industry technology partner shaping future mobility. Rimac's trajectory from bedroom tinkerer to Bugatti owner represents modern entrepreneurship's potential—proving that geographic location and company size matter less than engineering excellence and vision in the electric age, where traditional manufacturers increasingly recognize that battery and powertrain expertise concentrated in Croatian startup exceeds their internal capabilities. The story validates that electric propulsion democratizes hypercar development by eliminating engine manufacturing barriers that previously required massive capital and decades of development, allowing brilliant engineers anywhere to compete with established marques.