Rimac’s Nevera: How does it compare with electrified supercars of past and present?
Rimac’s latest fully-electric supercar is packed with performance – but it wasn’t the first of its type to use plug-in power for added boost.
Ferrari LaFerrari
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The LaFerrari is one of the cars which immediately springs to mind when you think of huge hybrid performance. It combines an incredibly powerful V12 engine with electric motors and a battery to produce over 900bhp. At the time, it was one of the most powerful cars of its type, yet in only a few short years it’s been overshadowed by many others today.
A special Aperta version was also launched, bringing the same exciting experience but with the option of lowering the roof.
Pininfarina Battista
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Revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the Pininfarina Battista is one serious electric car. Billed as a ‘hyper GT’, it has four electric motors and kicks out 1,874bhp and 2,300Nm of torque.
Flat-out it’ll do 217mph, but it’s the lower-down acceleration where things are really impressive. Zero to 60mph will take less than two seconds, while zero to 186mph will be dispatched in under 12 seconds.
Mercedes-AMG Project One
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Mercedes has always had a close tie in between its Formula One and road cars, but the Project One represents the closest yet. It uses a 1.6-litre petrol-electric engine found in the Mercedes Formula 1 car, with power likely to be in excess of 1,000bhp.
Flat-out, the Project One will do 217mph. We’re hoping to see more of this car this year.
Ariel P40
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You might know Ariel as the Somerset-based firm behind the ultralight Atom and Nomad cars. Well, it’s branching out into EVs and doing so with a bang – the 1,180bhp P40. It’s got four individual motors on each wheel and a turbine range extender which solely adds charge to the battery.
Atom reckons it’ll go from 0-100mph in 3.8 seconds – so it’s pretty brisk.
Lotus Evija
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Ariel isn’t the only British-based firm having a stab at an electric supercar – Lotus is in on it too, with its upcoming Evija. It’ll rival the Nevera for outright punch – with an electric motor on each wheel, it’ll push out 1,972bhp and hit 0-60mph in under three seconds before topping out at 200mph.
However, it’s being limited to 130 units with each commanding a serious price tag of £1.7 million.
Porsche 918
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Porsche’s 918 hypercar went on sale in 2014 as a cutting-edge example of what the firm could do. It combined a V8 engine with a pair of electric motors for scintillating performance, completing the 0-60mph sprint in under three seconds.
Today, Porsche’s fully electric Taycan already comes close to the 918’s performance but for significantly less money.
