BMW and Rimac Technology sign battery partnership

BMW and Croatia’s Rimac Technology have announced a long-term partnership to co-develop high-voltage batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

BMW says it brings battery and electric drive system expertise amassed over more than 15 years to the partnership. The German carmaker expects battery-electric vehicles to account for over half of global vehicle sales by 2030 as the EU, China and other regions prepare to ban sales of fossil-fuel cars by the middle of the next decade.

BMW is preparing to launch its Neue Klasse new-generation battery-electric cars that it says will have a 30% longer range than its current EVs.

Rimac Technology is part of the Rimac Group, which produces the low-volume Nevera electric supercar, and specialises in electrification in the automotive sector, making high-voltage battery packs, e-axles, electronics and software solutions.

The long-term partnership with the BMW Group is a sign of the Rimac Technology transition from niche high-performance solutions supplier to high-volume Tier 1 supplier, says the Croatian company, headquartered near Zagreb.

“My business journey began with a 1984 BMW 3 Series that I converted into an electric car in my garage at the age of 20 so it’s a perfect piece of symmetry to partner with the BMW Group today,” said Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of Rimac Group.

“This marks a pivotal moment in the growth of Rimac Technology, from humble beginnings to a major long-term partnership with one of the greatest automotive brands in the world.”

The two partners will release more details about the strategic tie-up later.