MEET THE TERRIFYING 1,914 HP RIMAC C TWO ELECTRIC SUPERCAR

The rumors surrounding the all-new Rimac C Two strained the imagination. It would have 2000 HP, they said. It would sprint from 0-60 MPH in less than two seconds, it would cross the finish line at a 1/4 mile drag strip in just 9 seconds and, given enough road, would hit the 300 km/h (186 MPH) mark less than 3 seconds later. It would, Rimac promised, be a world-beater- and, the kicker: it would be 100% electric.

Now, here it is. Meet the 1,914 HP, 1,696 TQ all-electric Rimac C Two. And, if I might comment on the general state of the supercar business, the only thing more impressive than its spec sheet- which includes a 258 top speed and a 400 mile driving range- is the fact that it’s actually nice to look at.

With this kind of follow-up supercar act and a lofty ambition to become a leading supplier of OEM EV components, Rimac, it seems, is the real deal. But Rimac isn’t stopping at big, bad EV bits. It’s pushing the boundaries in other areas, too.

To that end, Rimac has promised that each C Two would pack the computing power “of 22 MacBook Pro” laptops and deliver level 4 autonomous driving features. Keeping the car out of the wrong hands falls to advanced facial recognition software that can read your mood and adjust the car’s settings- thing like throttle response and traction control interference, probably- based on how you’re getting on behind the wheel. Which, you know, will probably help you not die.

None of that matters, though, because you and I will probably never get to drive one. I mean, I might- but I’ve lucked into so much track time behind the wheel of high-strung exotic cars already that the universe is probably going to cut me off soon, you know? Check out the 12-picture Rimac photo gallery, below, then let us know how you feel about Rimac’s odds of taking on Tesla in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Rimac C Two | 2000 HP Electric Hyper Car

Source | Images: Rimac, via Jalopnik.

Rimac’s €6,500 Electric Bike Unveiled

Those that are wealthy and in the lookout for an electric bicycle may want to check out the Greyp G12 — a high-performance offering that can reach speeds of up to 44 miles per hour (70 kilometers an hour). The bike is retailing for €6,500 ($7,200) currently.

Interestingly, the bike (which we actually caught word of back in 2013) is the offering of the creator of the Concept_One electric supercar, the Croatian company Rimac Automobili.

The electric bike features a 1.3 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack that allows for up to 75 miles (120 kilometers) of electric propulsion. The Greyp G12 is apparently the result of “knowledge acquired during the conception of Rimac’s $1 million electric supercar.”

Here’s more information coming via Electrek: “There are 3 use-cases for the Greyp G12: pedal only, pedal-assist and throttle only. There’s no need to switch mode between the roles of the pedals. If you want to only pedal, you use the pedals and if you want the electric motor to assist your pedaling, you use the throttle while pedaling, and finally you can stop pedaling and only use the throttle.”

Of course, the bike has to have some nifty features to justify the high price, and it does, including fingerprint activation! “The G12 can save up to 50 users, and every user can save up to 5 fingers. You can choose that a certain finger starts the bike in a certain mode. Your thumb can lead you the Street Mode, while your middle-finger will activate the Power-mode.”

Regenerative braking that sends up to 2 kW of power back to the battery is also included.

Here are the exact specs for those considering a purchase:

Image Credit: Rimac

Rimac Secures Investors To Build Concept_One Electric Supercar

Two high-profile investors put their money behind the 1,088 horsepower Rimac Concept_One electric supercar, bringing this quiet riot closer to production. Want one? All you’ll need is a million bucks and a place on the growing waiting list.

Better hurry though, as production of the Concept_One will be limited to just 88 examples, and you can bet investor Frank Kanayet Yepes has already signed on to get his. Yepes, a South American businessman with Croation origins, has also invested in the all-electric Formula E Championship despite making his millions in the oil and gas industry. Maybe this is his way of making up for a lifetime of working for Big Oil?

Nah. The owner of an uber-rare Ferrari 599XX (1 of 33, not even street legal!) probably just really loves fast, cool, high-tech cars, and there are few cars cooler than this Ferrari-crushing EV.

The other investor is Sinocop Resources, a minerals and metals company listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Sinocop has reportedly signed a non-binding agreement to take a 10% stake in Rimac, which is more than just one electric supercar. Founder Mate Rimac has built what he claims is the world’s quickest electric car, a custom BMW M3, and the Rimac-designed Greyp is an electric bicycle with grand ambitions of its own. As for the Concept_One, production is slated to begin next year…and it looks like it might actually happen.

With this newfound investment, Rimac plans to double the development team by the end of the year, though the company will go beyond million-dollar supercars and glossy electric bikes. Rimac wants to build and sell proprietary electric power systems in the burgeoning EV market, though building a dedicated line of electric vehicles remains priority one.

Could this be the beginnings of a Croatian Tesla?

Source: Tech EU via Motor Authority

Million-Dollar EV Supercar Company Building…Electric Bicycle?

The Rimac Automobili Concept One is the stunningly beautiful and ridiculously fast million-dollar electric supercar that hails from the country of Croatia. It’s been on a world tour as of late, and as one might expect the engineering minds behind the Concept One haven’t been idle. Their next project, the world’s “most advanced electric bicycle”, isn’t quite what I expected.

Rimac has not released any details on the Greyp Bike, save for this website, a silhouette, and a statement saying “The World’s Most Advanced Electric Bicycle, Coming From The Minds Behind The Fastest Electric Supercar.” The big debut is set for London’s Salon Privé in early September.

Electric bicycles are all the rage across Asia, and they’re starting to catch on in Europe and America too (despite New York City’s silly ban on e-bikes). It’ll be interesting to see what Rimac comes up with, and if it’ll actually be affordable, or just another sexy-but-too-expensive EV teaser.

Source: Greyp-Bikes

Rimac Offering Electric Motors for Small-volume Carmakers

In their bid to emulate the success that boutique engine builders once enjoyed, Rimac is offering a series of electric motors, batteries, controllers, and driveline components that should be just the ticket to take any would-be electric supercar or racecar constructor from daydream to production reality.

Good. On. Them.

For a bit of context, consider that, in a Bob Lutz-certified ‘lectric car future, batteries will be big business. Electric motors, controllers, and software will be big business, too. The first supplier to get all those systems right and be able to offer a cost-effective and energy-efficient “plug n’ play” drivetrain to small-volume niche carmakers like Lotus, Nemesis, and TommyKaira will be positioned to make big money. Rimac gets that, and they’ve set the stage perfectly.

A Little Background on Rimac

Rimac began making waves back in 2011 with a crazy-fast BMW E30 converted to electric power that, by the way, is still setting records. Confusingly, they followed up the go-fast BMW act with the 1000+ hp, Ferrari-stomping Concept_One supercar. Here we are, then, at Act 3 of Rimac’s little stage act, and it all makes sense. This was Rimac’s endgame all along, and it’s nothing less than a plan to emulate the small-volume engine-building dominance that companies like Cosworth and Ilmor enjoyed in the last generation.

This is textbook Diffusion of Innovations stuff. Rimac tested the product quietly in their E30, and got the attention of the earliest adopters and EV champions. Next, they built a 1000 hp supercar that they never intended to be a money-maker, but which got the attention of those car enthusiasts that might serve as the early majority down the road. They got the attention of boutique carmakers by targeting their king, Ferrari, at a racetrack and stomping the Ferrari soundly. Now? You want to beat a Ferrari in a supercar with your own name on it? Rimac has the hardware – and software! – you need to do it.

It’s so smart, I’m actually jealous. Here’s Rimac’s official press release, below.

June 3rd, 2013. – The Rimac R&D team developed both the Concept_One and the technology under the carbon-fiber skin in order to achieve the Concept_One’s remarkable performance. Various industries and individuals can now benefit from this technology. Rimac Automobili is now offering cutting-edge technology and their services to the industry and individuals. The company’s newly updated web-site will lead you into the world of outstanding innovation and technology.

Founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili, Mate Rimac says: “Pioneers have always been at the forefront of technological advancement of mankind. Rimac Automobili has challenged the status-quo by having the vision to revolutionize and reinvent the sportscar with its unique technology. Today we are excited to offer customers the opportunity to use our technology and know-how to create new and exciting products. Our biggest advantage is that we are to deliver the full service – powertrain, batteries, design, chassis, moulds, body-work, infotainment systems and many other aspects of the vehicle. We can lead the entire process from the idea to the finished product under one roof, what enables us to act fast and efficient. Being a car manufacturer ourselves, we know what it takes to develop a car and how hard it can be to integrate systems from various suppliers. Now it is possible to source everything from one address.”

Rimac Automobili’s CTO, Igor Pongrac explains that Rimac Automobili drivetrain systems deliver unmatched performance combined with very high energy and packaging efficiency. The high level of integration makes these systems the ideal choice for high-performance applications. Every component is matched perfectly to the entire system which results in the most power-dense systems on the market. It is also important to mention that Rimac Automobili powertrain and battery systems are designed to suit in a variety of applications – not necessarily automotive. The modular design of these components enables to be adapted fast and cost effective according to the wishes of every customer. Motors and Transmissions, Battery Systems and BMS, Power Distribution and Management, Infotainment Systems, Low Voltage Electric Systems and a variety of Auxiliary systems are only some of them as Rimac Automobili constantly engages into development activities.

Source | Photos: Rimac.