Bugatti is going electric, as part of a new joint venture with parent company Porsche (owned by VW) and electric hypercar company Rimac.
While the two brands are going to remain separate, they will both fall under the umbrella of a new company dubbed ‘Bugatti Rimac’. And the whole point is to help share resources and expertise between the two automakers.
- Here are the best electric cars you can buy right now
- Everything you need to know about the super-fast Tesla Roadster
- Plus: The $25k Tesla hatchback is the only Tesla worth caring about
The new joint venture is scheduled to be geared up and ready to go at some point later this year. The point of the partnership is to allow Bugatti to take advantage of Rimac’s knowledge and expertise, as it starts making the electric transition for itself.
Rimac, in exchange, can utilize Bugatti’s extensive knowledge and experience. Considering Bugatti currently makes the second-fastest road-legal car in the world (the 304.77mph Chiron), that’s going to be plenty beneficial to Rimac. The automaker will now have access to Bugatti's talent and resources that can help boost the performance of its own hypercars.
While this is very exciting from a business perspective, the most important part is the fact Bugatti is set to make a transition to electric cars in the near future. The internal combustion engine is already on its way out, and the future of the auto industry is electric.
Electric cars have already proven themselves of hitting some exceptionally high speeds, and the Rimac Nevera promises to be able to hit a top speed of 258mph — which is faster than the original 2005 Bugatti Veyron. So it’s going to be very interesting to see what Bugatti can accomplish with some proper electric expertise.
Mate Rimac, CEO of Rimac Automobil, told Top Gear that the next Bugatti will still be powered by an internal combustion engine, and is set to arrive at some point before the end of the decade. But a second all-electric Bugatti is also set to arrive before 2030 as well, though the company emphasized that it would be something completely new.
So there will be no adding Bugatti badges to existing Rimac cars, and no adding hybrid tech to the Chiron. Rimac also confirmed that Bugati’s extensive history means the companies can make more than just hypercars. Though Rimac didn’t specify what that could involve, beyond a very vague opportunity to “make some very exciting cars”.
We’re likely to see something very interesting in a few years time as a result of this deal. And, honestly, we can’t wait.
- More: Electric cars 2021: All the electric cars coming this year and beyond
