BMW Appoints Rimac for EV Batteries

BMW Group will rely on Rimac to supply batteries for its next-generation electric vehicles under a new partnership announced Tuesday.

More details will be announced at a later date, but in a joint statement, the two companies said the long-term partnership will see Rimac supplying high-voltage batteries for EVs to BMW Group starting in the second half of the decade.

At this time, the batteries will most likely be used in BMW's upcoming Neue Classe EV series, but could also be used in models from Rolls-Royce and Mini, also BMW Group brands.

The deal is a major coup for Rimac. Rimac has so far supplied the technology only for niche applications, including its own series of electric hypercars. Rimac, which was founded about 20 years ago by founder Mate Rimac in 1984 when he converted a BMW 3 Series into an EV, will build a new battery production line. According to the company, it will occupy a significant portion of its headquarters, known as the Rimac Campus, near Zagreb, Croatia. [BMW Group is also building its own battery plant and already sources batteries from other suppliers, including China's CATL, which was chosen by BMW to supply the new cylindrical cells used in the Neue Klasse EV. According to BMW, the cylindrical cells (instead of the current square cells According to BMW, the cylindrical cells (replacing the current rectangular cells) and other improvements will increase the range by 30% over BMW Group's current battery technology. Charging times are also expected to improve significantly.

The first Neue Klasse vehicle is believed to be the iX3, redesigned based on the design of the Vision Neue Klasse X concept (main photo), and will be manufactured starting in 2025 at a plant under construction in Debrecen, Hungary. The Neue Klasse will also be produced at existing BMW plants in Germany and China starting in 2026 and at the San Luis Potosi plant in Mexico starting in 2027