One of the most unusual things associated with the rise of the EV is the number of new automakers that pop up seemingly out of nowhere. Rimac, for example, is one of those, although it's not actually that new, with a history stretching back over a decade.

The company's concept-turned-production car, the Nevera electric hypercar with nearly 2,000 horsepower, broke no fewer than 23 performance records on a test track in Germany. But that didn't happen overnight, and the things that make the Nevera special also highlight why the company as a whole has risen so much so quickly—Rimac does things its own way and develops almost everything in-house.

Let's examine what records the Rimac Nevera broke and how it did it.

What Is the Rimac Nevera?

Rear shot of the Rimac Nevera on a race track
Image Credit: Rimac

Rimac is a Croatian company whose aim is to create high-performance cars for the electric era. The company was founded in 2009, but CEO Mate Rimac was already working on electric cars before that. He converted an old BMW E30 to an all-electric race car in 2008.

The Nevera is the company's newest and most powerful production car ever (there are plenty of jaw-dropping facts about the Rimac Nevera). The two-door electric hypercar launched in 2022. It was designed and engineered at the company's headquarters in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia, where it is also hand-assembled in very low volumes.

Nevera Breaks Record For Most Performance Records Broken in a Day

Infographic summarizing Rimac Nevera's performance records
Image Credit: Rimac

It seems that Rimac's mission to create extremely capable electric hypercars is paying off. In early May 2023, the Nevera broke the record for most performance records broken in one day at the Automotive Testing Papenburg facility in Germany.

It completed its record-breaking acceleration runs with a one-foot rollout and was equipped with road-legal race tires. In case you haven't heard of rollout, it's a drag racing term that refers to the distance between the point where the vehicle starts accelerating and when it triggers the timing equipment.

We've chosen the ten most impressive of Nevera's acceleration and braking test records to highlight out of the total of 23. We note the results of each measurement recorded by both independent verifiers at the track if they differ.

0 to 60 mph

Starting with the 0 to 60 test, the go-to measurement of a vehicle's sprint performance, the Nevera broke its own record on this test. It beat the prior record of 1.85 seconds to 60 mph initially, but then it was able to slash over a tenth of a second off its official time for a final 0 to 60 mph time of 1.74 seconds.

0 to 100 mph

Reaching 100 mph is another milestone to measure a car's acceleration. The Rimac Nevera reached the triple-digit mark in just over 3 seconds. One of the independent verifiers on-site clocked the Nevera hitting 100 mph in 3.32 seconds, while the other recorded a quicker time of 3.21 seconds.

0 to 249 mph

The Nevera goes from nought to 249 mph (400 km/h) in just under 21.9 seconds. That's not far off its top speed of 256 mph.

Quarter Mile

Dominic Toretto's famous line, "I live my life a quarter-mile at a time" (referring to the length of a drag strip), spoke to the souls of car enthusiasts around the world when The Fast and the Furious dropped in the early 2000s.

The Rimac Nevera reached the quarter-mile distance in 8.25 seconds or 8.26 seconds, according to the two separate measurements. That's over a second quicker than a Bugatti Chiron.

One Mile

To get through a whole mile, the Rimac Nevera needs between 20.59 and 20.62 seconds.

62 to 124 mph

Testing the Nevera's acceleration while already at speed, the Rimac team was able to double the EV hypercar's speed from 62 to 124 mph (100 to 200 km/h) in a recorded 2.59 seconds.

124 to 155 mph

The Nevera only needed two seconds to get from 124 to 155 mph (200 to 250 km/h).

62 to 0 mph Braking Test

Switching to brake performance, the Rimac Nevera was able to stop itself from 62 mph (or 100 km/h) in about 95 feet.

0 to 62 to 0 mph

When it comes to combining acceleration and braking, the Nevera continues its record-smashing. The EV hypercar can get up to speed and back to a complete stop again in 3.99 seconds, according to one measurement, and 4.03 seconds, according to the other.

0 to 249 to 0 mph

The zero to 249 mph to zero time really highlights the Nevera's capability. It was able to almost hit its top speed and stop again in less time than it took the McLaren F1, the original hypercar, to reach 217 mph.

The Rimac Nevera broke this record with times of 29.94 seconds and 29.93 seconds.

How Did the Rimac Nevera Break These Records?

What Rimac and its Nevera have achieved is nothing short of remarkable. Its performance can be attributed to the lightweight carbon fiber construction, four-motor powertrain, and advanced 800-volt electrical system built around a 120 kWh battery.

Combined, its four motors can throw down a mind-blowing 1,914 horsepower and 1,741 lb-ft of torque. In our head-to-head comparison of the Tesla Model S Plaid vs. the Rimac Nevera, the Nevera beat out the famous performance EV.

The Nevera features an advanced all-wheel drive torque-vectoring system that enhances grip and traction. Drivers can also change the hypercar's settings to be more front-drive-biased or rear-drive-biased and really tailor the driving experience.

The Rimac Nivera Offers a Taste of the Electric Hypercar Future

After nearly 15 years in the works, the work Rimac has done to create the Nevera has proven EVs will be the pinnacle of high performance in the coming years. Rimac developed almost everything in-house, which makes the Never seem even more impressive. For $2.4 million, you can buy the quickest-accelerating road car in the world—until the next EV hypercar comes along, that is.