German sportscar giants Porsche have invested in Croatian upstart electric-supercar manufacturer Rimac Automobili and purchased a 10-per cent stake in the company.
Porsche have purchased a stake in Rimac to accelerate their development of an electric performance car. Rimac have been showcasing how they have been pioneering the electric supercar, and showcasing their credentials in the field of electro-mobility. Porsche have been looking into becoming the leader in electric performance vehicles since the Mission E was announced. Here is where both companies stand:
Porsche, have, at many occasions, stated that the company would expand their product line-up to include all-electric vehicles. The first glimpse of Porsche’s commitment towards e-mobility was showcased at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, with the Mission E all-electric four-door sports coupé. The Mission E is powered by two-AC synchronous electric motors – one electric motor at the front axle, and one electric motor at the rear axle. The four wheels are individually controlled by the Porsche Torque Vectoring System. The electric motors produce nearly 600 PS, with a top-speed over 250 km/h, and over 500 km electric range. At the 2018 Geneva Motor Show Porsche unveiled a crossover version of the Mission E with a body style similar to the Panamera Sport Turismo – the Mission E Cross Turismo. Earlier this month at the company’s 70 year celebration in Germany it was announced that the Mission E would be christened the ‘Taycan’.
Croatian car maker Rimac Automobili came onto the global stage with their Concept_One all-electric supercar which boasted some massive numbers; 1,224 PS and 1600 Nm from its four-electric motors – one in each wheel. Each wheel in the Concept_One has its own inverter and gearbox, which allows the wheels to be controlled individually. Each individual element of the Concept_One was developed by Rimac in-house. Apart from making cars, Rimac, has also been developing and providing KERS hybrid battery packs to Aston Martin for their all-new hypercar, the Valkyrie. Rimac also produce the battery pack for the Koenigsegg Regera, and the one-off Jaguar E-Type driven by Prince Harry at the Royal Wedding. The Concept_One was limited to just eight units, it gained notoriety when a noted television presenter drove one off a hill in Switzerland, while competing in a hill climb event; leaving the world with just seven units. The 2018 Geneva Motor Show saw Rimac unveil their successor to the wild Concept_One, the even more radical C_Two. The new C_Two is even more jaw-dropping in term of numbers than its predecessor, with the battery pack pounding out the aggression with 1,914 PS and 2,300 Nm. A top-speed of 412 km/h turning into obsession, and 0-100 km/h dispatched in 1.85 seconds – clearly, you cannot kill this battery. Rimac is crushing all the deceivers and mashing all the non-belivers with their electric hypercars, and by the looks of things, they will be here to stay.
Story: Sahej Patheja
