Rimac Nevera Sets EV Top Speed Record with Claimed 258-MPH Run

The Rimac Nevera reached 258 mph at the Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Germany.This claimed top speed makes it the fastest production electric car in the world, with customer deliveries getting underway in August of this year.While customer cars are limited to 219 mph, Rimac will unlock the Nevera’s full potential at special events under the supervision of the company’s technicians.

Rimac has made waves with its enormously powerful electric powertrains, attracting investment from Porsche and absorbing the storied Bugatti brand as part of a joint venture last year. Now, Rimac has announced that its Nevera hypercar has set a new top speed record for electric production vehicles, reaching a claimed 258 mph.

Rimac

The feat was accomplished at the Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Germany, an oval circuit with two straights, each measuring about 2.5 miles long, just enough space for the Nevera to rocket to its top speed. The Nevera was piloted by Miro Zrnčević, the company’s chief test and development driver, and the car was, of course, set in its top speed mode that reduces drag while maintaining enough downforce to remain stable at high speeds. A Michelin technician also verified the condition of the road-legal Michelin Cup 2R tires before the Nevera set off.

The record attempt was measured with a Racelogic V-Box data recorder, and the Nevera matched the target speed originally set by Rimac when the car was first shown at the 2018 Geneva auto show as the C_Two. Unlike the top speed runs by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport in 2010 (267 mph) or the Koenigsegg Agera RS in 2017 (277 mph), which used a two-way average to account for differences in wind and other environmental conditions, the Rimac Nevera’s record was calculated with just one run, similar to the 304-mph record set by the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ in 2019.

Rimac

Regardless, 258 mph is mightily impressive for an EV, since cars powered by electrons typically have lower top speeds. For customers, the Nevera is limited to a top speed of 219 mph—still absurdly fast—but Rimac says that at special events, with the support of the Rimac team, customers will be able to unlock the Nevera’s 258-mph maximum. Customers won’t need assistance, however, to attempt to replicate the 8.582-second quarter-mile run that the Nevera set in 2021 to become the world’s quickest accelerating production car.

The Nevera is currently built at Rimac’s headquarters near Zagreb, Croatia, with the first unit being delivered back in August to 2016 Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg. With Bugatti now under the control of Rimac, the Nevera’s record attempt shows Bugattis will still be able to reach insane top speeds as they transition to electric power, although it will be interesting to see how the Bugatti and Rimac brands handle the internal competition over high-speed record-setting attempts.

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