Rimac's CEO told reporters that weak demand for electric supercars means the company has not yet made the transition to the 150 new cars it plans to build.
by chris chilton
May 8, 2024 12:38
- Mate Rimac says wealthy buyers are looking for supercars and hypercars powered by analog internal combustion engines, not EVs.
- The Croatian company has delivered only 50 of the 150 Neveras it planned to build.
- Rimac says Bugatti will continue as ICE brand
Vinyl records, fully mechanical wristwatches, and now ICE-powered hypercars: technologies that were thought to be obsolete are replaced by the newer, technologically advanced, but soulful ones that were supposed to replace them. Three examples of how to fight back against media that isn't. Rimac's CEO said this week that sales of the company's $2 million Nevera hypercar had fallen short of expectations because buyers wanted a more analogue, fuel-guzzling experience. Because I acknowledged that it was there.
Three years after Nevera was launched with plans to sell 150 of the 1,888 horsepower (1,914 PS / 1408 kW) quad-motor hypercars, just over 50 have been delivered, says Mate Rimac. told attendees at the Financial Times Future of Automobiles conference. in London, car I will report.
Related: The boss moves!Mate Rimac finally hands over his Nevera
It has already been widely reported that demand for mainstream electric vehicles has softened in recent months, but Rimak believes that part of the reason for the Nevera's slump in sales is the proliferation of these mass-market EVs and the It blames attempts by governments and regulators to force automobiles on the masses. performance. This is an interesting take from someone who seems to be all about the proliferation of EV power.
“We started developing Nevera in 2016/2017 when electricity was cool,” Rimac said at the conference. “[But now] As electrification becomes more mainstream, we're seeing those at the top end of the sector looking to differentiate themselves. ”
He likened this trend to the wealthy's attachment to expensive analogue watches, which sell for much more than traditional digital smartwatches, even though traditional watches are far less capable.
“Apple Watch can do everything better.” car – says Nevera will not be directly replaced – Rimac is reported as saying. “It can do over 1,000 things, it's much more accurate, it can even measure your heart rate. But I don't think anyone would pay $200,000 for an Apple Watch.”
And just as demand for expensive old-tech watches shows no signs of slowing down or being overtaken by the passion for digital alternatives, Mate-Rimac says demand for electric hypercars will soon pick up. I don't think ultra-fast EVs will help replace ICE versions. . So it's no surprise that Rimac-owned Bugatti's upcoming Chiron successor will be powered by a retro-sounding naturally aspirated V16 engine, rather than an EV.
Where does that leave Rimac? Earlier this year, we reported rumors that the company would unveil a 2026 robotaxi vehicle in the coming months, and in April it signed a deal with BMW to supply battery packs for the German company's next-generation EVs. .
