Rimac unveils the production version of its 1,900HP electric hypercar
The Nevera may be faster than the Tesla Roadster — at a much higher price.
It took three years, but Rimac is finally ready to show the production version of its Concept Two electric hypercar. The newly unveiled Nevera (named after sudden Mediterranean storms in Croatia) still centers around a quad-motor 1,914HP setup, but includes a host of bodywork changes to improve aerodynamics. It's also clear how long you'll get to enjoy the car on a country drive. The 120kWh battery is estimated to offer a healthy 340 miles of range on the WLTP testing cycle, although that's likely to dip with a more conservative EPA rating.
The 500kW charging system can bring the Nevera from empty to an 80 percent charge in just 19 minutes, although you'll have to find one of the few stations that can keep up.
There's no mention of the facial recognition system meant to unlock the ignition (there's still a conventional key), but the Nevera still has plenty of tech. An upcoming Driver Coach feature will combine AI with the car's many sensors (13 cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, six radar units) to provide audiovisual guidance when you're blasting through "selected" race tracks. The Coach won't be ready until 2022, but it promises to help you use your hypercar for more than just flaunting your social status.
Like with some modern cars, Rimac is trying to strike a balance for the interior between a flood of digital information and the familiarity of physical controls. While you'll get three main screens and the seemingly requisite mobile app (complete with performance data from track days), there's still a host of knobs and toggles for things like the drive mode and windows.
As with most hypercars, the challenge will simply be to get your hands on one. Never mind the €2 million (about $2.44 million) price — Rimac is making just 150 units of the Nevera, and they'll likely be snapped up soon after orders begin.
The Nevera might just outperform Tesla's next-gen Roadster with a slightly faster 0-60MPH pace of 1.85 seconds, a 258MPH top speed and an 8.6-second quarter mile. However, it's also poised to cost ten times as much, and it might not travel nearly as far if Tesla's claimed 600-mile range holds. You're paying for the luxury and Rimac's performance know-how, not the raw performance figures.
