BMW and Rimac develop high-voltage batteries
The Croatian development service provider of the Rimac Group (more on the company structure in a moment) will thus work with BMW to design the high-voltage batteries for “selected vehicle projects.” BMW does not reveal which projects will be involved in the partnership announcement. “The two partners will release more details about what form the strategic tie-up will take, as well as its scope and content, at a later stage,” the German carmaker writes in its press release.
Rimac will probably not yet be involved in the sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology, which will debut next year with the Neue Klasse. BMW states that it is preparing to launch the sixth generation “separately from the new strategic cooperation.” Compared to the fifth generation of the current electric BMW, it “will bring another significant leap forward in all customer-relevant attributes, such as range and charging time.” For the battery, BMW is switching from prismatic cells, which are additionally grouped into modules, to large-volume round cells in the cell-to-pack concept.
There is at least one thing in common here: Rimac Technology has also developed a structural battery pack with 46 mm diameter round cells. The cells for this come from the Chinese manufacturer Eve Energy – also known as one of BMW’s suppliers for the round cells of the new class. Therefore, both companies have experience with the packaging of round cells.
BMW is full of praise for the new partner. Rimac Technology can “offer advanced technology with a high degree of customization.” And thanks to its steady growth, “including the opening of the Rimac Campus, Rimac Technology is ready to deliver projects at the highest automotive standards.” The long-term partnership with BMW demonstrates Rimac’s “transition from niche high-performance solutions supplier to high-volume Tier 1 supplier.”
Rimac Technology is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Rimac Group, a company founded by CEO Mate Rimac. Porsche, Softbank, Investindustrial, Hyundai, Goldman Sachs, and other investors are also involved alongside the founder. This Rimac Group holds a 55 per cent majority stake in Bugatti Rimac (Porsche holds the remaining 45 per cent), which combines the two car brands Bugatti and Rimac Automobili with the Nevera electric hypercar. Rimac Technology was spun off into a new unit and organisationally separated from Bugatti Rimac to develop, produce and supply battery systems, powertrains and other EV components.
For BMW, it seems to be of secondary importance that two other car manufacturers, Porsche and Hyundai, are involved in the new partner’s parent company. In Munich, it is said that the competencies of both companies complement each other “in a productive way.”
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