The Rimac Nevera has set a new EV top speed world record of 412 km/h or 258 mph. That staggering speed was set at the Automotive Testing Papenburg test track located about 200 kms west of Hamburg, Germany. The 12.3 km High Speed Oval has two 4 km straights and 49.7 degree banking in the two turns.

“To travel at 412 kph, or 258 mph, means travelling at a third of the speed of sound,” said Miro Zrnčević, Rimac’s Chief Test and Development Driver after setting the record speed. “Simply achieving that alone in a road car is incredibly complex, but in Nevera we have created a car that can travel long distances on a single charge, can tackle tight and twisting race tracks and can drift as well as break straight-line speed records, both for acceleration and V-MAX.”

“I’ve driven Nevera since it first turned a wheel and to see the perfectly honed car that is today is a really emotional moment,” said Zrnčević. “The most important thing I have learned during the top-speed attempt is how composed and stable the car was – confirming that our aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics teams have done an amazing job.”

The Nevera is powered by four electric motors, one for each wheel, that combine to generate 1,914 hp and 1,740 lb-ft of torque. The top speed is limited to 219 mph or 352 km/h when the car is delivered to buyers. The speed limiter can be adjusted by Rimac at customer events under controlled conditions.

Car number 001 was purchase by 2016 Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg. He took delivery of this car in August and will be driving it on the streets of Monaco where he lives.

Only 150 Nevera’s will be built at their factory in Zagreb, Croatia. Each car costs a whopping 2 million Euros or approximately $2.75 million CAD.

One of the biggest challenges of driving at these speeds is making sure that the tires can handle the stress of travelling at more than 400 km/h. Michelin technicians made sure street legal Michelin Cup 2R tires were set up perfectly for the run.