Croatian automaker Rimac Automobili has released a new video of the Rimac Nevera, which has set a world record for reaching a top speed of 412km/h (258mph), making it the fastest electric production car in the world.
The record-breaking feat follows Nevera’s independently verified 8.582-second quarter-mile run in 2021, which made it the world’s fastest accelerating production car.
The Rimac team looked specifically for an oval with straights long enough to achieve the Nevera’s top speed, eventually settling on the Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Germany, which has two four-kilometre (2.4-mile) straights.
However, facilities where it is possible to achieve speeds of more than 400 km/h (248mph) are not commonplace.
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The Nevera was fitted with road legal Michelin Cup 2R tires, and a Michelin technician was reportedly used to check their condition before the record-setting run began.
Behind the wheel was Miro Zrnčević, Rimac’s chief test and development driver. As the car left the banking, reportedly travelling at around 250km/h (155mph), Miro advanced the four-motor Rimac-developed powertrain and battery pack to push the vehicle into the 400km/h range.
Zrnčević said: “To travel at 412km/h, or 258mph, means travelling at a third of the speed of sound.
“Simply achieving that alone in a road car is incredibly complex, but in 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.
“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.”
Once the test drive was complete, it was revealed to the on-site team that the car had successfully reached 412km/h (258mph) – the same speed that they had simulated several years ago. This meant the Nevera was fast enough to beat the world record holder for fastest EV production car – it was also the fastest car ever recorded at Automotive Testing Papenburg, its manufacturer claims.
The Nevera is delivered to customers with a limited top speed of 219mph (352km/h) but can achieve the 412km/h (258mph) top speed in special customer events with the support from the Rimac team and under controlled conditions.
What’s more, Rimac explained that the Nevera can produce 1,914hp from four Rimac-designed electric motors, which can reportedly propel the car from 0-60 mph (96km/h) in just 1.85 seconds, and to 100mph (160km/h) in 4.3 seconds.
