BMW collaborates with Rimac to develop high-voltage electric vehicle battery technology.

According to foreign media reports, BMW and the Croatian company Rimac stated on April 9 that they have reached a cooperation agreement in the field of high-voltage battery technology for electric vehicles, aiming to challenge Asia's dominant position in this area.

Rimac, an electric supercar manufacturer with Porsche holding a 45% stake, is currently expanding its scope of operations to supply battery systems and powertrain components to other automotive manufacturers as a supplier. Rimac aims to produce 100,000 batteries annually between 2024 and 2026.

At present, automakers are under increasing pressure to reduce capital expenditures on electric vehicles. The high-end electric vehicle startup Lucid is also attempting to offset its relatively low electric vehicle sales by selling its electric drive technology to other automakers, such as Aston Martin. Rimac's CEO, Mate Rimac, stated in 2023 that a German automaker would start using Rimac's battery systems in a high-performance model from this year, with an annual production of about 40,000 units, and more models will be authorized to use its system.

BMW declined to provide more details about the battery or new models being developed in collaboration, merely stating that this partnership would not provide new cylindrical power batteries for the "Neue Klasse" electric vehicles that will go into production in 2025.

In 2023, BMW's pure electric vehicles accounted for 15% of its total sales, with the company expecting this figure to reach 50% by 2030. Although the company has its own battery research center in Germany, it has handed over large-scale development work to partners, signing multi-billion euro orders with CATL and EVE Energy, to produce batteries in China and Europe.

Article from "Gasgoo Automotive News"