Porsche invests in Rimac electric car firm

Porsche AG has invested in Croatian technology and electric sports car company Rimac Automobili, taking a 10% shareholding.

The company develops and produces EV components and manufactures electric super sports cars.

Porsche is seeking a development partnership as part of its electrification efforts.

Rimac presented the latest version of its electric hypercar, the “C Two”, at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2018. The two-seater reaches 412km/h and has a reported 650km range. An 80% battery charge is achieved in 30 minutes through a 250kW fast charging system. Furthermore, the company engineers and manufactures high-performance EV powertrain and battery systems.

“By developing the purely electric two-seaters super sports cars, like the ‘Concept One’ or ‘C Two’, as well as core vehicle systems, Rimac has impressively demonstrated its credentials in the field of electromobility,” Porsche executive board deputy chairman Lutz Meschke says.

“We feel that Rimac’s ideas and approaches are extremely promising, which is why we hope to enter into close collaboration with the company in the form of a development partnership.”

The fast-growing Zagreb-based company employs about 400.

Rimac’s main focus is on high-voltage battery technology, electric powertrains and the development of digital interfaces between man and machine (HMI Development). It also develops and produces electric bikes under its subsidiary Greyp Bikes, founded in 2013.

“This partnership now is an important step for Rimac on our way to become a component and system supplier of choice for the industry in electrification, connectivity and the exciting field of advanced driver assistance systems”, Rimac chief executive officer Mate Rimac says.

He founded the company in 2009, after working from his garage on his vision of producing electric sports cars.

Rimac is known for doing engineering elements of the electric Jaguar E-Type driven by Prince Harry after his marriage to Meghan Markle, providing Aston Martin with a hybrid system for its Valkyrie hypercar, and for a crash involving The Grand Tour host and former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond.