Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of Rimac Technology, loves to talk about his old E30. From press conferences at The Quail to his own biography, the Croatian innovator credits his hand-converted, all-electric 1984 BMW 3-series as a catalyst for the success he enjoys today. Now, the 36-year-old is getting a chance to give back to the car brand that started it all, as Rimac Technology and the BMW Group on Tuesday announced a new, long-term joint venture.
Rimac will be aiding BMW in its future battery development endeavors, the largest project of scale Rimac says it has taken on. Specifically, BMW is using Rimac’s battery development and production facilities in Zagreb, Croatia, to deliver greater volumes of advanced battery systems. To facilitate this level of production, Rimac and BMW will also collaborate on automated production lines for batteries, with a significant portion of the nearly 50-acre property dedicated to BMW’s processes.
“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,” said Rimac. “It’s a clear sign of the transition of Rimac Technology from niche high-performance supplier to high-volume production capability.”
BMW is eager to scale up its electrification capacity, as it launches an entire lineup of electric sedans and SUVs. Currently BMW does the majority of its EV production in its Dingolfing facility, sharing the production line with internal-combustion vehicles as well. Similarly, BMW recently announced plans to retool its Munich headquarters in the name of all-electric production by 2027. Plus, BMW is already preparing for a whole new generation of electric models, known as the Vision Neue Klasse.
Independently, Rimac’s foray into electrification led to the industry-shaking Rimac Nevera electric hypercar. With a seven-minute Nürburgring lap time, the Nevera is an exercise in new performance horizons at the very least. Working in conjunction with BMW, this venture is likely to skew toward performance, whether in power figures or range numbers.
A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a 2003 Honda Nighthawk 750 street parked in his South Brooklyn community.