Rimac will provide next-generation battery packs for BMW EVs, the company announced Tuesday in a press release.
Full details will be revealed at a later date, but Rimac anticipates “the establishment of sophisticated automated production lines for batteries” at its headquarters near Zagreb, Croatia, with “significant portion” of the site dedicated to the project.
Rimac started with founder Mate Rimac’s conversion of an old BMW to electric power, leading to the development of its first supercar, the Concept_One, a decade ago. So in some respects this is a BMW fan’s return to the fold.
Rimac campus
“This marks a pivotal moment in the growth of Rimac Technology, from humble beginnings to a major long-term partnership with one of the greatest automotive brands in the world,” Mate Rimac said in a statement.
Rimac has gained the most attention as a builder of supercars. In 2022 it started production of the Nevera, the successor to the Concept_One, and the year prior the Rimac car brand was merged with Bugatti to form Bugatti Rimac, a joint venture of the parent Rimac Group and Porsche.
But Rimac is also a supplier of electric powertrain components, including key components for the Koenigsegg Regera plug-in hybrid supercar. Hyundai also used to be allied with Rimac, although the South Korean automaker later went its own way.
Rimac Nevera top speed run
Rimac has also tapped into some of the energy management smarts in its electric supercars for its own line of energy storage tech, announcing a Rimac Energy division in 2023.
BMW has suggested that it plans to emphasize EV affordability with its upcoming Neue Klasse EVs launching in 2025. It will be interesting to see whether the partnership with Rimac plays into that.
