Rimac CEO Says Electric Hypercar Demands Have Dropped

The ground-breaking Rimac Nevera EV hyerpcar during its record-setting Nurburgring time attack run. According to brand CEO, demand for EV hypercars as such have waned.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) were brought into the mainstream market to replace combustion engines and even to a point hybrids. Thus, it is natural, when hypercar manufacturers like Rimac also took a similar step and introduced its beastly Nevera EV hypercar. 

However, despite being an ultimate beast with quad-motors (one at each wheel), altogether producing a whopping 1,914 HP and a physics-defying 2,340 NM of torque, the Nevera has not sold in high numbers as initially expected. 

In light of which, brand CEO Mate Rimac has reportedly blamed this drop in demand for ultra-high-end EVs for the Croatian company's continued failure to sell the expected number of vehicles. "We started to develop [the] Nevera in 2016/2017 when electric was cool," he said at the recent Future of The Car conference held in London. 

Of the 150 units initially planned, just over 50 units of the Nevera EV hypercar have been delivered, and brand CEO Mate Rimac blames this slowed deliveries on the waning demands mentioned.

The market environment for electric cars has evolved, with tastes changing plus both legislators and mainstream carmakers pushing for their mainstream adoption. The Nevera was developed to showcase the potential of motors and batteries in an era when electric cars were still in their nascence. 

As electrification becomes mainstream, people at the top end of the sector want to differentiate themselves, primarily through a desire for analogue technology and ICE drivetrains. Perhaps this is similar as what’s seen in the high-end analogue watches space, where each example still commands several times as much money as more capable and popular smartwatches.

The Nevera has a market and is the best-selling EV hypercar, with over 50 out of 150 units initially planned having been delivered thus far. While an electric Bugatti would have sold a number of cars in the same time due to the draw of its brand name, the estimated amount sold by the V16-engined Chiron successor would be significantly less.

Rimac doesn't see demand returning for electric hypercars because, while mainstream car segments will have little loyalty for individual brands and powertrain technologies, high-end car segments demand a high level of differentiation and "analogue" appeal. KR