Validated by the Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Germany, the Nevera could go even faster but 412 kph is the target–for now.
CROATIA-built and designed Rimac Nevera hit a top speed of 412kph (258mph), during time trials at the Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Germany. The electric sports car clocked an 8.582-second in a quarter-mile run. The two records make the Nevera both the fastest electric and fastest accelerating production car in the world.
“To travel at 412 kph means traveling at a third of the speed of sound. Simply achieving that alone in a road car is incredibly complex, but at Nevera we have created a car that can travel long distances on a single charge, can tackle tight and twisting race tracks, and can drift as well as break straight-line speed records, both for acceleration and V-MAX,” Miro ZrnÄević, Rimac’s Chief Test and Development Driver
The Nevera was set into its top speed mode, creating an aerodynamic profile that balances drag and downforce to ensure stability at high speed. Fitted with road legal Michelin Cup 2R tires, and with the oversight of a Michelin technician to check their condition, the record-setting run got underway. The top speed was measured using Racelogic V-Box, a high-precision GPS-based measurement device. Achieving the top speed target set by the Rimac team when the car was first unveiled as the C-Two at the Geneva Motor Show in 2018.
“I’ve driven Nevera since it first turned a wheel and to see the perfectly honed car that is today is a really emotional moment. The most important thing I have learned during the top-speed attempt is how composed and stable the car was — confirming that our aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics teams have done an amazing job,” ZrnÄević said explaining that his challenge was to get the perfect entry onto the straight from the track’s curved sections to give the car the best possible chance of reaching top speed.
As the car leveled out of the banking, traveling around 250kph (155mph), Miro unleashed the full power of the advanced four-motor Rimac-developed powertrain and battery pack, catapulting Nevera well into the 400kph range. It wasn’t until Miro had lifted off the throttle, bringing the Nevera back down to more normal speeds safely, that the news came over the radio. It hit 412kph–exactly as simulated many years ago.
The Nevera is delivered to customers with a limited top speed of 219mph (352kph) but can achieve the 412kph (258mph) top speed in special customer events with support from the Rimac team and under controlled conditions. As tires are under a huge amount of stress during such runs, most of the precautions are directed toward making sure that the tires are properly set up for such high speeds. Production of the Nevera is currently underway at Rimac’s HQ on the outskirts of Zagreb, Croatia, and the first cars are already with customers around the world.
Developed to offer next-generation hypercar performance, Nevera has delivered on its promise of setting a new paradigm. Now both the fastest accelerating production car in the world and the fastest EV production car, it marks a new era in the evolution of automotive performance, achieved using technology designed, developed, and produced in-house at the Rimac Group.
The Rimac Nevera produces 1,914hp from four Rimac-designed electric motors, which propel the hypercar from 0-60 mph in just 1.85 seconds, and to 100mph in 4.3 seconds.
Rimac Automobili has been building electric supercars since 2009. Its headquarters and assembly plant is found in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia. The company designs and builds its own electric sports cars, drivetrains, and battery systems. Founder Mate Rimac built the Concept One, which was once the world’s fastest production electric vehicle–until the Nevera came.
