Koenigsegg Regera battery packs manufactured by Rimac.
Although Rimac is best known for its Concept One and C_Two electric supercars, its founder Mate Rimac considers himself a technology company first and a car manufacturer second. Therefore, Rimac lends its expertise to other automakers, including Koenigsegg.
In the Apex One video, Rimac talks about how it developed the battery pack for Koenigsegg's Regera hybrid supercar. He says the main challenge was to squeeze the power Koenigsegg needed into a small space, calling the Regera unit the world's highest-density unit.
"Because the packaging was so tight, our people fought with Koenigsegg employees for every millimeter," Rimac said. Engineers even had to make a notch for the front unit to allow for gas pedal travel.
Rimac does not make its own battery packs, but assembles battery packs from commercially available cells. Some cells have excellent energy capacity, while others have high energy density and can store more energy in a given volume. The choice of cells depends on the specific project and what factors, from power output to range and lifetime, are considered most important.
In the Regera, the battery pack powers three electric motors totaling 700 hp. These electric motors are paired with a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, developing a combined output of 1,500 hp and 1,475 lb-ft of torque.
Koenigsegg's Direct Drive system replaces the transmission and avoids the high energy losses inherent in the drivetrain. Instead, the system uses a single reduction gear on the V8 engine, connected to the rear wheels by a hydraulic clutch. The Regera can run almost entirely on electric power up to 30 mph and is claimed to reach a top speed of 248 mph after starting the gasoline engine.
In addition to Koenigsegg, Rimac will supply battery packs for the Aston Martin Valkyrie Hybrid; in 2018, Porsche bought a 10% stake in Rimac, and Hyundai confirmed its investment and plans to launch N electric sports cars next year. Rimac's next production model will be the 1,914 hp C_Two electric supercar.
