The world is changing faster than ever before. For centuries the world depended on horses for transportation. Then came the steam engine, followed by the internal combustion engine that has run the world over the last century. Now we are in the early years of the age of electric-propelled mobility. We've come very far since the Toyota Prius entered the scene and have seen incredibly advanced electric cars in the last five years. These indicate the automotive industry's commitment to moving with the changing times. It isn't just about going green but also unlocking new levels of engineering and technological excellence. Today, few cars have pushed the EV boundaries like the Rimac Nevera.
Mate Rimac, a Croatian business mogul, founded Rimac Automobil in 2009 to build electric supercars that could rival the existing crop of gas-powered supercars. Their first product was a converted 1984 BMW M3 dubbed the Green Monster. After honing their skills with Concept One and Concept S, Rimac unveiled the Nevera, culminating over a decade of experience and arguably the best electric supercar yet. Here's why the Nevera is our favorite electric car.
10 Astounding Output Figures
In Croatian, Nevera means sudden short storms accompanied by lightning. A fitting name for a car generating otherworldly numbers. The Nevera's journey to production began with Concept Two, which made its public debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.
It did maintain the original Concept's astounding output figures, producing 1,914 hp and 1,741 lb-ft of torque. This is a next-generation performance coming from the car's four electric motors. The closest rivals include the Bugatti Chiron SS and Koenigsegg Regera, both of which utilize high displacement ICE engines.
9 Quickest Accelerating Car Ever
The Rimac Nevera is currently the quickest accelerating car ever. It proves that you don't need a monstrous engine to produce massive horsepower; welcome to the future. A launch to 60mph takes just 1.85 seconds. Only the fellow fully electric rival, the Tesla Model S Plaid, comes close with 1.99 seconds.
It will cross the quarter mile in 8.6 seconds and accelerate to 186mph in 9.3s. Also, with a theoretical top speed of 258mph, it is the fastest electric car in the world. Also, it puts it ahead of a 1760pounds light F1 car, with the Nevera weighing a massive 4740 pounds thanks to the bulky battery pack.
8 Hand-Built Masterpiece
Rimac revealed the first full production version of the Nevera is 100% hand built, and all copies of the car will undergo a similarly thorough process. This after plenty of resources went towards the project's development. It took five years of research, development, testing, and three generations of powertrain technology to strike the final product.
In the process, they created 18 prototypes, spending up to 1.6-million-man hours and 45 physical crash tests. Few automobiles undergo this level of detail, and you can rest assured the Nevera is an engineering masterpiece.
7 High-tech Wizardry
Rimac is a relatively new outfit, having existed for just thirteen years. Yet they are good at what they do, seeing they've licensed their technology to respectable exotic car manufacturers like Koenigsegg and Aston Martin, and recently acquired Bugatti. But it's never about how long you've been around the block; if you are good, your good.
So it's no surprise Rimac condensed all their know-how into the Nevera, containing some of the most high-tech wizardly seen in the industry. From advanced control architecture to advanced driver assistance, convenience systems, and battery tech. Also, Rimac promises autonomous driving tech from next year.
6 Luxurious And Bespoke
Since all cars are hand-built, each copy will be different from the other. And with the high customization options, the cars will feature bespoke elements inside and outside. From door handles to the billet aluminum air vents and switchgear. Inside, Rimac had the rotary nobs and the screens custom-made at a steep price.
Rimac offers 36 predefined paint color options, and you can also choose a color of your liking. In the cabin, you can opt for three levels of exposed carbon fiber with a host of colorful leathers, Alcantara, and metal finishes. Rimac promises 150 unique copies of the Nevera, the only constant being an exquisite luxury.
5 Generous Battery Range
The more EVs evolve, the better the battery technology and range improve. It is key in alleviating range anxiety which is one of the stumbling blocks to faster EV adoption. In June, ONE Energy tested an experimental battery giving the BMW iX an impressive 600-mile range. The Rimac Nevera comes with the second largest battery pack, only behind Rivian, and offers generous driving range.
It comes with a liquid-cooled 120kWh battery giving the car a 340-mile range. It is paired to the highest regenerative brakes and charges faster than anything you've seen yet.
4 Surprisingly Great Visibility
With all their greatness, Hypercars suffer some stupid shortcomings like offering atrocious visibility, which is a massive inconvenience for the driver. The unorthodox aerodynamic shapes, rear wings, and engines stuck just behind the driver create massive blind spots making navigating narrow city streets a nightmare. Not the Nevera, though.
Its visibility is surprisingly good for a hypercar. The driving position is fantastically low-slung, and the car shrinks around you, making it feel like an extension of your body. Also, Rimac engineered the butterfly-gullwing doors to make ingress and egress easier than rivals.
3 Engaging And Fun To Drive
Being the first pure-electric hypercar comes with high expectations, and the Nevera doesn't disappoint, offering a sensational driving experience. It is simply the most exciting electric vehicle yet and feels endlessly interesting, even with emotionless electronics running the bulk of activities in the background.
Perhaps, the most significant feature is the Rimac All-Wheel Torque Vectoring which processes 100 calculations per second, allowing extreme prediction and response in adjustments. It results in optimal cohesion between safety, comfort, and handling precision. Also, Rimac provides the Track and Drift modes to use when you need to draw maximum smiles per kilowatt.
2 A Car Without Peers
The Rimac Nevera isn't the first of its kind, but it creates a niche of its own, featuring next-generation equipment that competitors have yet to catch. Although Porsche and Hyundai hold partial ownership of the Croatian outfit, they don't have any development input. As such, they develop the Nevera entirely in-house, and it doesn't share many traits with the partners.
Also, most speed-optimized performance cars that shatter records are one-off race-track-tuned builds. But the Nevera is a different animal, a record breaker straight off the factory floor.
1 A Car Anyone Can Buy
Today, the entire spectrum of the automotive market has a couple of options, from tiny city cars to SUVs, trucks, luxury sports, and grand touring cars. The Rimac Nevera serves the highest end spectrum. It isn't an invite-only car like some cars in the price range seeing anyone with the money can buy it. Production is finally underway after rigorous R&D.
Each Nevera takes five weeks to put together, and they will make delivery through Rimac's 25 official dealer partners worldwide. They've sold out the first 50 cars, but anyone with $2.5 million to spare can make early bookings for the next batch.