Bugatti Chief: Petrol Engines Will Survive in Hypercars Despite the EV Wave

Petrol engines aren't going anywhere in the hypercar segment. That is the message from Mate Rimac, founder of Croatia's electric hypercar maker Rimac and CEO of Bugatti Rimac, who told CNBC that combustion power will remain central to the most expensive performance cars on the planet. The irony is hard to miss, given that Rimac built his reputation on electric hypercars.

Rimac: Hypercars Are Not Just About Acceleration

Raw speed doesn't define a hypercar. Rimac argues that the future of multi-million-dollar cars won't be decided by 0-100 km/h times or top speed figures, but by scarcity, mechanical engineering, craftsmanship. The experience wealthy buyers are actually chasing. A customer spending millions isn't paying for transport from point A to B, he says, but for an exceptional driving experience and a piece of engineering art that can't be replicated.

The Swiss Watch Analogy

Technological progress doesn't kill high-priced traditional products. The Bugatti chief points to the watch industry, where smartwatches now outperform mechanical timepieces on almost every function, yet demand for luxury Swiss watches has not disappeared. A small fraction of the world's watches are made in Switzerland, but that fraction captures the largest share of industry profits, because buyers pay for craftsmanship, heritage, design. Rarity, not just for telling the time.

Does that logic hold for cars? Rimac believes it does. Hypercars may follow the same path as Swiss watches, retaining their value and status even as more advanced technical alternatives emerge. His comments land at a moment when major global manufacturers are pouring billions into battery and electric motor development, racing toward full electrification.

Electric vs Petrol: The Future of Luxury Cars

The picture isn't black and white. Global EV sales are climbing fast, yet the hypercar and luxury segment remains loyal to multi-cylinder petrol engines. This slice of the market is tiny in volume but generates massive profit margins, drawing its value from the same elements Rimac cites: rarity, craftsmanship, and heritage. Hypercar makers face a tough equation between complying with strict emissions rules in Europe and preserving the identity their loyal customers expect.

Petrol engines in hypercars are more than a propulsion method. They are part of the driving experience — the sound, the response, the mechanical feel that electric motors struggle to replicate despite superior numbers. Rimac is touching a sensitive nerve in the industry: not every car needs a battery. Not every kind of speed requires one.