As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the German Die Welt reported that ”Mate Rimac actually just wanted to be a successful professional auto-moto driver, but over time he became a symbol of hope for car manufacturers on the road to electromobility,”
The Berlin-based Die Welt looks back at one episode with which the success story of this much loved Croatian entrepreneur began. Mate Rimac’s old BMW “troika” failed in one race and the engine “died”, writes Die Welt journalist Thomas Geiger: “At that time, it seemed like the biggest possible accident that could happen, but in actual fact, nothing better could have ever happened to Mate Rimac…”
If it weren’t for that technical problem, Rimac might never have come up with the idea to install the simple electric motor of a forklift in his car, instead of an expensive new engine. And so, writes the German Die Welt, Rimac’s green “troika” became the well known “Green Monster”, and Rimac himself became the “king of drifting”. The innovative Croat’s videos were watched by millions of people on YouTube, and later he became “the man who made the strongest sports e-car in the world, that is, an ardent supporter of electric propulsion”.
“The Elon Musk of the Balkans”
“A skilful Croat with an almost shy smile hidden behind a thick beard is currently one of the most sought-after people in the industry,” the German newspaper wrote in its article entitled “Visionary under voltage”, emphasising that Rimac is only 33 years old, and that a lot has happened in his life in the past ten years alone. “Once an average student, and then an ingenious inventor” is now a partner and supplier of sophisticated technological solutions, from batteries to engines – he has become the “Elon Musk of the Balkans”, writes the German Die Welt, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
The fact that this remarkable entrepreneur comes from Croatia gives this whole story an additional, special element, writes the Berlin daily. “On the colourful car map of the world, the former Yugoslavia has been a relatively white spot since the end of production of the small Yugo back in 2008, there are almost no automotive manufacturers there. Nevertheless, decisive development began right there: only 200 kilometres southeast of the headquarters of Rimac’s company in Sveta Nedelja, a certain Nikola Tesla was born,” notes the German Die Welt.
”Rimac is geographically closer to Tesla than he is to Elon Musk,” writes the German journalist.
Regardless of the electrical engineering thanks to which he became famous, Rimac doesn’t “insist” on changing the world for the better, at least not on the road, the article notes:
”Rimac’s penchant for e-cars has its source not in environmental protection, but in the joy of driving, the taste that these cars give him,” notes the journalist.
Regardless of all the successes that Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac has stacked up over recent years, and despite all the models he has developed and sold for high sums of money, “Die Welt” still notices one particularly Croatian problem plaguing the entire thing – the lack of skilled labour.
“Croatia isn’t exactly the armpit of the world, but the outskirts of Zagreb aren’t a magnet for experts from abroad either. That’s why it isn’t surprising that Rimac is currently planning a new headquarters, which is a bit reminiscent of Autostadt in Wolfsburg or a little more like Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino/ And in those new headquarters, Rimac’s Green Monster will of course get a place of honour,” concludes the German Die Welt article.
For more, follow Made in Croatia.
