Rimac may have made its name by building a 1900-hp hypercar that warps the definition of physics, but the company’s next revolution won’t come from another record-shattering coupe. Instead, it’s happening behind the scenes, inside a growing engineering powerhouse called Rimac Technology—the newly independent division tasked with supplying the EV world with next-generation batteries, ultra-dense powertrains, and electronics that major OEMs are already lining up to buy.
And according to COO Nurdin Pitarevic, the mission is nothing short of transforming Rimac from a disruptive startup into a global Tier 1 supplier capable of redefining what EVs can be.
Solid-State Batteries: The Breakthrough Rimac Wants to Own
While legacy automakers are still publishing whitepapers about solid-state batteries, Rimac Technology is already deep into development. Working with cell innovator ProLogium and composite specialists at Mitsubishi, the company plans to debut its first commercialized packs before the decade is out.
Pitarevic says testing is imminent, and his “wish” is clear: a mid-volume Bugatti model launching in 2030 will showcase the tech.
The prototype numbers are eye-opening:
- 100 kWh capacity
- 20–30% higher energy density than today’s NMC packs
- ~30 kg lighter, thanks to composite housings
- Significantly faster, safer charging, a key design priority
Cost parity with current lithium-ion packs is expected around 2035, though Rimac doesn’t plan to build high-volume packs for mainstream cars. Instead, they’ll license the tech to bigger OEMs—if the offer is right.
What’s driving the push? Rimac has zeroed in on three EV priorities consumers actually feel:
maximum range, maximum safety, minimum charging time.
Solid-state delivers on all three.
Hypercar Tech for Everyone Else
Rimac Technology isn’t just a battery shop. The company designs full electric drive units—motors, gearboxes, power electronics—sold to automakers ranging from BMW and Porsche to new EV players like CEER in Saudi Arabia.
These aren’t generic motors. They’re compact, modular, and ferociously powerful:
- 200 to 470 horsepower per e-axle
- Configurations for FWD, RWD, or AWD
- Suitable for hybrids or full EVs
And they’re evolving rapidly. Pitarevic points to two recent examples:
The CEER SUV E-Axle
Comparable in output to the rear motor in the 1288-hp Rimac Nevera, this new unit weighs:
- 132 kg, compared with
- 198 kg for the Nevera’s drive unit
A massive leap in power density.
The “Suitcase Motor”
A 500-hp package weighing just 48 kg—small enough to fit into a performance coupe or even a spicy hot hatch.
It’s boutique engineering with mainstream potential.
The €300 Million Bet on the Future
Backing all this tech is Rimac’s upcoming 95,000-square-meter campus in Zagreb, part of a €300 million investment to pump out “tens of thousands” of components per month.
For a company born in a garage barely a decade ago, that’s a full-on transformation into a global supplier.
But Pitarevic argues Rimac’s real advantage isn’t size—it’s culture.
Inside Rimac: Innovation Without Bureaucracy
Before joining Rimac, Pitarevic managed 10,000 people across 22 factories in a major global manufacturing group. At 36, he left all that behind for a company a fraction of the size. Why?
He lists three reasons:
- No slow corporate decision-making.
“No one sends emails to get decisions,” he says. “They communicate much faster.” - Innovation isn’t encouraged—it’s expected.
If you have a good idea, you’re empowered to build it. - No legacy tech holding the company back.
Rimac starts fresh with every system—no old tooling to undo.
Add in Croatia’s highly educated workforce and lower operating costs (20–30% below Western Europe), and Pitarevic believes Rimac can compete with firms 70 years older.
Where Rimac Goes From Here
Despite its engineering firepower, Rimac isn’t planning to become a volume automaker. With the slow-selling Nevera likely remaining its only self-badged car for the foreseeable future, Rimac Technology is focusing on its most valuable role:
the premium supplier building the secret ingredients inside the world’s most ambitious EVs.
“This is the market where innovation matters as much as performance,” Pitarevic says. “That’s where we succeed.”
Rimac may not build many cars in the future.
But the components inside the fastest, safest, and most advanced EVs of the next decade?
There’s a good chance they’ll have Rimac DNA.
Source: Rimac
