The last time the words 1,000-hp and electric car were paired together was in early 2009 with the SSC Ultimate Aero EV. But where the SSC never came into fruition, Rimac hopes to get nearly 100 units of its Concept_One into people’s hands.

Rimac Automobile’s grand entrance to the sports-car world started this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show. With no gasoline engine onboard of its Concept_One, electricity is the sole provider of propulsion but is still good for 1,088 hp, 0–60 mph in 2.8 seconds, and a top speed limited to 190 mph. Its torque number—2,800 lb-ft—is most likely much less if measured at the output shaft of the motors and not at the wheels after being magnified by the transmission and differential’s gears (you may remember Audi made similar claims with its e-tron concept in 2009). Despite the torque discrepancy, if the rest of the stats are true, the 3,637-pound Concept_One will be the world’s fastest electric production car, a title currently held by the Tesla Roadster. In the supercar arena, its only electric-only competitor is the upcoming SLS E-cell, but it will have to compete with some supercar hybrids like the Porsche 918 Spyder and BMW i8 in the marketplace.



The Concept_One’s powertrain consists of electric motors working independently at each of the four wheels. We presume each motor creates 272 hp, and a computer is in place to send torque to the appropriate wheels depending on driving conditions. Providing power is 92-kilowatt hours of energy (enough to power most refrigerators for a month) stored in the car’s battery modules, which is good for a range of approximately 372 miles.

Rimac Automobili spawns from Mate Rimac, whom converted his old BMW to a racing electric vehicle before starting the company now known for its electric-propulsion components. That same BMW is now the Rimac Automobili e-M3 and serves as a test mule for a variety of electric systems and in-house developments.

Rimac says the Concept_One will reach a limited number of 88 customers in 2013.

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