The Same Car Brand Behind The World’s Fastest Electric Cars Is Making a Driverless Taxi
Rimac broke the mold with its bleeding-edge electric vehicles (EVs). From the Concept One to the Nevera, the high-voltage brand is synonymous with lightning-fast hypercars. However, the brand that builds some of the fastest electric cars on the market is partnering with Kia to produce the next generation of driverless taxis.
Rimac, the electric hypercar manufacturer will reveal an autonomous taxi in partnership with Kia
Autonomous robotaxi concepts aren’t sexy. Cutting-edge, self-driving innovations of transit and urban mobility? Sure. But sexy? Not so much. Certainly not the standard of what Rimac Automobili typically puts together.
Think of your torquey little R/C car from your youth. That thing really sprinted, right? Well, blow that thing up to a 1:1 scale and add a lightweight hypercar presentation and you have an idea of what Rimac is all about. The Croatian EV marque meticulously engineers EV hypercars like the 1,877-horsepower Rimac Nevera to be some of the fastest electric cars in the world.
However, in a stark departure from typical form, Rimac announced an autonomous robotaxi initiative in partnership with Kia. According to Autocar, the Croatian EV builder will unveil its self-driving taxi later this year. Hyundai Motor Group, Kia’s parent company, invested €80 million in Rimac Automobili in 2019. Kia’s backing will undoubtedly aid the EV marque in its mobility initiative.
Mate Rimac, the company’s founder and CEO, told Autocar that while the Nevera is important, the driverless taxi serves to “change the lives of more people.” What’s more, the EV brand used a Renault Espace in testing. As a result, the robotaxi will likely have similar minivan dimensions. It’s unsurprising, given the utility of a sliding-door minivan.
The Project 3 Mobility robotaxis will likely hit the streets of major cities in 2026
The Project 3 Mobility initiative has a research and development (R&D) presence in the United Kingdom. In addition to its current operations in Croatia and the UK, Rimac says the driverless taxis will optimally get their own factory.
What’s more, the brand wants to launch its pilot program in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital. After the pilot program, 20 cities across the Middle East and Europe can expect the driverless taxi program in 2026. As of now, the Croatian manufacturer isn’t prioritizing driverless taxis for cities in the United States.
Source: Kia Media, EV Magazine, Autocar
