Autocar reports that the Croatian company Rimac is planning to release an autonomous shuttle in 2026. Rimac is best known for its electric Nevera hypercar and its work with Bugatti. This year will be the first time Project 3 Mobility is used, and then there will be a test program in Zagreb, the city of Croatia. Reports say that Rimac is in talks to bring the robotaxi service to twenty more places in Europe and the Middle East after the test program ends. It has been easy for Rimac to rise. The Croatian company went from making little-known supercars to a major player in the market for electric cars after Porsche put a lot of money into it to help Rimac and Bugatti work together to make a hypercar in 2021. The business now wants to do more than make high-performance tools. Autocar says that Rimac will show off a driverless “robotaxi” early this year. The first one will likely hit the roads in 2026. Autocar says that the self-driving bus is now called Project 3 Mobility, and Kia is helping to make it happen. In 2019, Hyundai and Kia put about $90 million into the business. The Project 3 car will be its brand within the Rimac Group. It will use what the company has learned from making its hypercars with over 1,000 horsepower, but it will have nothing to do with the Rimac supercar business or the Bugatti name. The car is being made near the offices of Rimac in Zagreb, Croatia. About one hundred R&D engineers are also working on a new site in the UK. Founder and CEO Mate Rimac told Autocar that the robotaxi wants to “change the lives of more people” than the company’s first two cars, the expensive and fast Concept_One and Nevera. However, there aren’t many details available at this time. There are rumors that the car can drive itself, and Rimac has called it “a car, but of a completely different type.” Based on what the company saw while testing the Renault Espace minivan, the robotaxi might look like a big pod with an interior design that makes the most of space. Robotaxi is going to buy its factory To go along with the robotaxi, Rimac wants to build a network of parking lots, storage areas, and chargers. Rimac called the service “upscale” but not “expensive or posh.” The Robotaxi is set to make its debut in 2026 as part of a mobility service. Before going beyond Croatia, Rimac wants to build a one-of-a-kind workshop for the robotaxi. Tens of thousands of units should be sent abroad every year. Autocar says that twenty towns in Europe and the Middle East are in talks with Rimac about getting the robotaxi service. First, a trial plan will be put in place in Zagreb. It will start running in 2026. In the following year, the robotaxi should make its way to Germany and the UK. The Cruise division of General Motors has been having problems lately, which suggests that the Croatian company wants to avoid bringing the robotaxi service to the United States. When we get a better look at Rimac’s new project later this year, we’ll let you know more.
