FRANKFURT -- Porsche has bought a 10 percent stake in Rimac Automobili, a Croatian startup that specializes in superfast electric supercars.
Rimac has turned heads at recent auto shows with its Concept Two, a two-seater that produces around 2,000 hp and reaches a top speed of 412 kph (256 mph). Rimac claims it has an electric range of 650 km (404 miles) under the NEDC test cycle and can recharge 80 percent of its battery in 30 minutes using a 250 kW fast charging system.
"Rimac has impressively demonstrated its credentials in the field of electromobility," Lutz Meschke, Porsche's deputy CEO, said in a statement. "We feel 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."
Porsche said the main focus of Rimac is supplying high-voltage battery technology, electric powertrains and the development of digital interfaces between man and machine (HMI Development).
This could help assist Porsche in its efforts to electrify more than half of its fleet by 2025. Next year Porsche plans to launch its first electric sports car, the Taycan, which is the production name for its Mission E concept.
Rimac has been looking for financiers to back plans to expand and develop a new model. Late last year it received a 30 million-euro investment from Shanghai-based Camel Group, according to its chief executive and founder, Mate Rimac, 30, who founded the company in 2009 from his garage.
Zagreb-based Rimac now has 400 employees. It plans to build eight units of its first car, the Concept One, which the company says can reach speeds of 355 kph (221 mph) and accelerate to 100 kph (62 mph) in under 3 seconds.
