A little less than two months ago, changes in the leadership of Rimac Technology were officially announced, as preparation for the next phase of business. As part of that reorganization, Marko Brkljačićpreviously Deputy Chief Operating Officer, took over the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Likewise, in recent months a lot has been written about advanced solutions, primarily in the field of batteries, which the company is developing for “its” Bugatti, but also for other manufacturers, primarily BMW, with which cooperation has already begun on the i7 model. All of this was an occasion for us to talk to Brkljačić and find out the details of the current development phase of that company.
First of all, congratulations on your new position. What is your main focus at the moment, now that Rimac Technology is increasingly entering mass production?
Thanks for the card! It is important to emphasize that these are not “uncharted waters” for us at Rimac Technology, because we already have a stable and functional operating system that has been delivering large quantities of finished products every day for two years. premium car manufacturers. Therefore, we have already proven to the market that we know how to stick to high quality standards and deadlines, and that we can produce efficiently. We are currently in the scaling phase, considering that in the next year five more projects will enter the SoP phase (Start of Production).
As we prepare for even higher volumes for global partners, my focus is on ensuring that the system remains robust, predictable and resilient in day-to-day production. With us, “good enough” has never been acceptable – the goal of 100% OTIF (On Time in Full delivery) we are already realizing and we are additionally strengthening it as the complexity grows.
Another important element of my work is controlled ramp-up. We do not invent new approaches, but rather standardize models of entry into series production and processes and ensure that people, systems and infrastructure are ready before the start of the series. We have a unique opportunity to build systems from scratch, with no overhead legacy systems that represent a great challenge to the traditional auto industry, which enables us to introduce modern solutions in new plants and teams.
The third key focus is people and organization. As we grow, it is important that we do not rely on individual efforts, but on clear responsibilities, strong middle management and a common operating language across all locations.
You recently presented a new generation of batteries in Munich. What technologies are key in your products and what do you see as your main advantage over the competition?
At IAA Mobility, we presented a new generation of battery systems, including the direction of development towards solid-state technology that we are developing in cooperation with our partner from Taiwan, the company ProLogium. This technology will be available in the coming years. In the last few days, you could also read in the media about the batteries we developed for the BMW i7 – I think it is important to emphasize that these battery systems were developed and produced right here in Croatia, which is an incredible thing.
It is on these examples that we can see where our advantage lies compared to the competition. To begin with, we come from the world of hyperperformance – our Nevera as hypercar sets extremely high demands in terms of power, thermal management, safety and reliability. We transfer that experience to sports today luxury segment, where such solutions bring concrete performance and market advantage. Second, we have successfully developed multiple cars within the Rimac Group, which gives us a deep understanding of the overall vehicle and how our systems are integrated. In other words, we “speak the same language” with customers, which they greatly appreciate. Finally, there’s more track record. We already have projects with partners like BMW and Porsche, as well as others that we can’t talk about publicly yet. As a European supplier, we are additionally geographically and operationally closer to OEMs, which often makes a difference in practice. When the line is drawn, we offer more power, faster charging and higher energy density in the same space, with a shorter go-to-market and greater flexibility in adapting to partner requirements.
More and more people are talking about solid‑state batteries. At what stage are yours currently and what is the biggest technical challenge before commercial implementation at the moment?
It is important to emphasize that it is solid-state the technology is still in the development phase and that there is currently no commercially available cell ready for mass production. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with our partner ProLogium, and they are currently developing and building production capacities in Europe. We recently visited France, where the construction of their new giga-factory has begun.
We believe that solid-state the technology can address some key issues that OEMs are looking for, primarily security, charging speed and energy density. However, at the moment the focus of the industry is still on the development and industrialization of the cell itself. We follow the development of technology first-hand and plan to be the first on the market to offer ready-made solutions to customers when the technology is ready.
You have long been synonymous with smaller, exclusive series such as those for Bugatti or Koenigsegg. But the contracts with BMW and Ceera require mass production. Can we expect new similar collaborations soon?
Absolutely. We started with small-volume collaborations that were technically very demanding, and it was through such projects that we built the competencies that we use today in high-volume programs in sports and luxury segment.
In addition to the projects with BMW, Porsche and CEER, there are also additional projects that we have already contracted, but we cannot talk about them publicly yet. At the same time, we are in the advanced stages of contracting new projects with different car manufacturers, predominantly from Europe, but also outside Europe.
In this sense, the transition from smaller batches to larger volumes is something that we have planned and prepared in the end, and we expect this growth trend to continue.
How does Rimac Technology deal with Chinese competition and has the crisis of European manufacturers like Northvolt affected your plans?
We closely monitor global developments, from the automotive industry to the broader geopolitical situation, as all of these directly affect supply chains and the market. Chinese manufacturers are certainly very aggressive, but such supply chain footprint and the environmental aspect of production do not always suit all OEMs. In such circumstances, we see space for European suppliers like us, especially when it comes to more complex products and close cooperation with customers. The Chinese competition is strong and we do not ignore it – on the contrary, such an environment motivates us further.
On the other hand, European and global premium the segment still strongly emphasizes performance, quality and technological excellence; areas where we believe our technology is difficult to reach. Through the projects of premium we continuously confirm the capabilities of our systems to our partners, which ensures a stable market position.
As for the situation with Northvolt, the impact on our plans was minimal, while market changes also opened certain opportunities, including the arrival of quality personnel to our company.
Of everything that you are currently developing in Croatia, what would you single out as the most technically interesting to our readers?
It is certainly the electrification system for the new Bugatti Tourbillon, a project that includes a number of advanced and unconventional solutions. For example, we use very advanced battery cooling concepts like submerged cooling, and the battery itself is largely integrated into the structure of the vehicle. In other words, the battery does not have a “case”, but that role is taken over by the carbon one monocoquethat is, the chassis of the car.
Such solutions go beyond standard industrial approaches, but it is precisely through such projects that we develop technologies that we can later apply even more widely. Even though it’s not ours core in terms of volume, from the technical side, these are the projects that push the boundaries the most and are the most interesting for a wider audience.
What I can attest to is that our innovation team continuously follows and creates trends — often before they become mainstream. We are constantly working on improving existing solutions and developing new technologies that will ensure our advantage in the years to come. It is part of our culture: to be one step ahead, but without unnecessary publicity until we are sure that the solution is mature. After all, the number of patents that we continuously apply on an annual basis clearly shows how intensively we work on development and how systematically we build a technological advantage.
Is there a technical “hidden detail” that best outlines your engineering signature?
You won’t believe it, but I’m not an engineer. As the company grows, the upgrade of superior engineering becomes business mindset. The question is no longer just how to develop the technology, but how to produce it profitably, scalable and long-term sustainable.
This is exactly my focus – operational efficiency in the broadest sense, from production cost control and process stability to resource management throughout the organization. This includes things like downsizing scrap in production, process optimization, better capacity utilization and a generally disciplined approach to costs as we grow in volumes. Equally important is the management of complexity, inventory and planning, so that the system remains stable and predictable, rather than dependent on individual efforts.
In the end, the key lies in developing processes and teams that enable superior engineering not to remain at the prototype level, but to function in serial production in a consistent and sustainable manner – to the satisfaction of customers, end users and the wider community.