Rimac Technology has confirmed its role as a Tier 1 supplier to BMW Group, with a jointly developed battery system set to debut in the new BMW i7 at Auto China 2026.
The system combines BMW’s latest Gen6 4695 cylindrical lithium-ion cells with its Gen5 module architecture, creating a scalable high-voltage platform designed to deliver improvements in energy density, range and charging performance. The i7 will be the first BMW battery electric vehicle to feature this integrated approach.
Rimac Technology’s Croatian Campus
Production of the battery system takes place at the Rimac Campus near Zagreb, where the company has established two fully industrialised production lines and a new end-to-end supply chain within a few years. The facility includes a 15,000m² dedicated production area within a 90,000m² site, with the majority of capacity allocated to battery systems for multiple OEM programmes.
Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of the Rimac Group, said: “BMW has always been known for pushing engineering to the highest level, which made this collaboration especially exciting for us. Together, we developed a high-voltage battery system that unlocks the full potential of the new cylindrical cells in record time, delivering significant improvements in energy, range, and charging performance. We are proud to now see this system being produced at scale at our new Rimac Campus.”
Nurdin Pitarević, CEO of Rimac Technology (a 55:45 joint venture between Rimac Group and Porsche AG) said: “This collaboration with BMW represents an important step forward in electric vehicle technology. Together, we have developed advanced battery technology for the BMW i7, delivering outstanding performance, efficiency, and reliability. What makes this partnership special is BMW’s engineering excellence and the way they approach collaboration — treating Rimac Technology not just as a supplier, but as a true technology partner. I believe this is a great example of how OEMs and technology companies should work together in the future.”
Thomas Engelhardt, senior vice president development high-voltage Bbattery and charging, BMW Group, said: “We are rapidly rolling out the technologies of the Neue Klasse across our entire model portfolio — naturally including our fully electric luxury sedan. The development teams of both companies have created a tailormade solution for the new BMW i7 in a remarkably short time. The excellent collaboration with Rimac Technology is a strong example of European innovative strength.”
The partnership underlines Rimac Technology’s growing position as a high-volume battery systems supplier to premium automotive OEMs.
PHOTO: Rimac Campus near Zagreb, Croatia CREDIT: Rimac Technology
