Porsche, Rimac Join Forces In Growing Future Of Electrification
Porsche’s minority stake in Rimac is about more than just new electric hypercars to sell.
Croatian manufacturer Rimac has long been on the front lines of the electric circus, bestowing the world with the likes of the Concept One (last piloted by death-defier Richard Hammond), the 2,000-horsepower C Two (which bowed at the 2018 Geneva Auto Show), and the Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One piloted up Pikes Peak in 2015 by its namesake, hill climb legend Nobuhiro Tajima. It’s also taken the knowledge gained from its hypercar portfolio, and shared it with OEMs like Aston Martin, Jaguar and Siemens, as well as other OEMs looking to taste the electric rainbow.
And now, you can add Porsche to the list. The Drive reports the German automaker has purchased a 10 percent minority stake in the young startup company, founded by its namesake Mate Rimac in 2009. Porsche, too, is looking toward the electric circus, having recently introduced the production-ready version of the Mission E Taycan. The minority stake is part of Porsche’s co-investment with Camel Group Co. Ltd. during the series B round of capital raising for Rimac.
Rimac said that building his company “is a lifetime challenge,” and that it still has a long way to go. However, Porsche’s investment and resulting collaborative partnership “is an important step in our strategy to become a leading EV technology supplier to the global OEMs.” Porsche board deputy chair Lutz Meschke adds that “Rimac’s ideas and approaches are extremely promising, which is why we hope to enter into close collaboration with the company in the form of a development partnership.”
And what does this partnership mean for both companies? For Rimac, it solidifies the company’s place as a supplier “for electrification, connectivity, and driver-assistance systems,” as well as more growth for its EV portfolio, which includes subsidiary e-bike maker Greyp Bikes. Meanwhile, Porsche gains “a smoother path to full-line electrification” of its own lineup, including a possible hypercar EV of its own, and entry into other EV spaces like the aforementioned e-bikes.
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