March 19 (SeeNews) - Croatian auto manufacturer Rimac Automobili has said it plans to produce 150 units of its next-generation all-electric hypercar, Concept Two, after rolling out just eight units of its predecessor Concept One.
The first units of Concept Two will be delivered to customers in 2020, Mate Rimac, CEO of Rimac Automobili , told public broadcaster HRT late on Friday.
Rimac Automobili is currently in the process of producing C_Two prototypes for testing.
"The company is producing 20 prototypes. We will be doing that this year and next. Most of them will finish in the wall, unfortunately, that's the way it has to be done," Rimac said.
The car, which was unveiled on March 6 at the Geneva International Motor Show, has a top speed of 412 km/h, while its battery pack innovative in technology and layout delivers 120 kWh energy and 1.4MW of power.
The C_Two also boasts a 0 to 60 mph acceleration in 1.85 seconds, quicker than the next-generation Tesla Roadster prototype.
Rimac explained to HRT that the C_Two is important to the company as separate business, but that its main product is the battery system it produces for other manufacturers.
He confirmed that the company and China's high-tech enterprise Camel Group will build a $158.2 million (128.8 million euro) plant for production of electric motors and batteries in China by the end of the year. Rimac Automobili will invest 5 million euro and its know-how into the plant in Hubei province to be named Zhongke Luo Rui Technology Co, in which it will own shareholding interest of 40%.
The factory will service the Chinese market only, Rimac said, while all other markets will be covered from its base in Croatia.
Late last year, storage battery manufacturer Camel Group signed an agreement to make a 30 million euro direct investment in Rimac to help it accelerate growth, introduce new products to the market and expand its global presence.
Sveta Nedelja-based Rimac Automobili, founded in 2009, develops and produces high-performance electric vehicles, drivetrains and battery systems. Rimac currently employs 350 people in its two companies, Rimac Automobili and Greyp Bikes, and has expanded its offices to two more cities in Croatia.
"From the very beginning, we wanted to achieve success here [Croatia], to open top positions here. Now we want to expand, we have offices in Osijek and Split and we are looking for new plant locations," Rimac said.
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