The Rimac Nevera uses four independent electric motors, one at each wheel, instead of a traditional engine

The Rimac Nevera is a Croatian-built electric hypercar with a motor mounted directly to each wheel. This setup, called hub motors or in-wheel motors, means there is no transmission, no driveshaft, and no mechanical connection between the wheels. Each motor spins its own wheel independently, and the car's computer controls the power sent to each one separately.

This design is different from most electric cars, which have one or two motors connected to the wheels through a gearbox. The Nevera's approach gives it when ready torque to all four wheels at once and lets the car adjust power to each wheel in milliseconds — useful for acceleration, cornering, and stability control.

Key Takeaways

  • The Nevera has four electric motors totaling 1,914 horsepower, with one motor powering each wheel independently.
  • Hub motors eliminate the need for a transmission, differential, or driveshaft, reducing weight and mechanical complexity.
  • Each motor can be controlled separately, allowing the car to send different amounts of power to each wheel for traction and handling.
  • The motors are cooled by liquid running through channels in the motor housing, since they sit close to the wheels and tires.
  • Hub motors generate heat during hard acceleration and braking, which is why the Nevera's cooling system is critical to performance.

Motor specifications and power output

Each of the four motors in the Nevera produces 476 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. Combined, they deliver 1,914 horsepower and 1,652 pound-feet of torque to the road. The motors are permanent-magnet synchronous motors, meaning they use permanent magnets and electromagnets to create rotation, rather than brushes and commutators like older electric motor designs.

The Nevera can send full power to all four wheels simultaneously. This is why it accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds — all four motors are working together at maximum output from the moment you press the accelerator. A traditional car with a single engine and transmission cannot do this; the engine has to build up speed and the transmission has to shift gears.

The motors are rated to handle continuous operation, but they produce the most power during short bursts of acceleration. During sustained high-speed driving, the power output is managed to prevent overheating, since the motors are mounted inside the wheel hubs where airflow is limited.

How hub motors differ from traditional electric car motors

Most electric cars — including the Tesla Model 3, Porsche Taycan, and Audi e-tron — have one or two motors mounted in the center of the car, usually near the rear axle or under the floor. Power from these motors travels through a single-speed gearbox and then to the wheels through axles and a differential. This setup is simpler to cool, easier to package into existing car platforms, and cheaper to manufacture.

Hub motors sit inside the wheel itself, so they turn the wheel directly. There is no gearbox, no differential, and no axles. This saves weight and space, but it creates challenges: the motor heats up quickly because it is surrounded by the wheel and tire, and it has to be light enough that it does not make the wheel too heavy (heavy wheels hurt handling and fuel economy, or in this case, range).

The Nevera's hub motors are also unsprung mass — they move up and down with the suspension — which can affect how the car handles bumps. Rimac engineered the suspension and motor mounting to minimize this effect, but it is a trade-off that hub motor cars have to manage.

Cooling and thermal management

Each hub motor in the Nevera is cooled by a liquid cooling system. Coolant flows through channels cast into the motor housing, absorbing heat and carrying it away to a radiator. This is necessary because the motors are packed into the wheel hubs where air cannot flow freely like it can around a centrally mounted motor.

During hard acceleration or repeated high-speed runs, the motors generate significant heat. The cooling system has to work fast enough to keep the motor temperature within safe limits, or the motor will throttle back its power output to protect itself. This is why hypercars with hub motors often have larger radiators and more aggressive cooling systems than cars with traditional motors.

The Nevera also uses regenerative braking, which means the motors act as generators when the car slows down, converting the car's momentum back into electrical energy and storing it in the battery. This process also generates heat in the motors, so the cooling system has to handle both acceleration and braking.

Torque vectoring and handling control

Because each wheel has its own motor, the Nevera's computer can send different amounts of power to each wheel independently. This is called torque vectoring. If the car is turning right and the rear left wheel needs more grip, the computer can send more power to that wheel. If the front right wheel is starting to slip, the computer can reduce power to that wheel.

This happens in milliseconds, much faster than a traditional car's stability control system can react. Traditional cars use brakes to slow individual wheels when they slip; the Nevera uses the motors themselves to adjust power. This gives the driver more precise control and allows the car to maintain higher speeds through corners.

Torque vectoring also helps with acceleration. When the Nevera launches from a standstill, the computer distributes power among the four motors to maximize grip without spinning the wheels. Each motor adjusts its output based on how much traction that wheel has at that moment.

Battery and power delivery

The Nevera's battery is a 120-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion pack mounted low in the chassis. This battery has to deliver enough current to power all four motors at full output simultaneously — a massive amount of electrical power. The battery is connected to each motor through high-capacity wiring and power electronics that convert the battery's direct current into the alternating current the motors need.

The power electronics also manage charging. When the car is plugged in, they convert the charging station's alternating current back into direct current and send it into the battery. The Nevera can charge at up to 22 kilowatts on AC power or up to 150 kilowatts on DC fast chargers, though the actual charging speed depends on the charger and the battery's state of charge.

The battery's capacity and the motors' efficiency determine the car's range. The Nevera is rated for around 340 miles of range under ideal conditions, but this drops significantly during hard acceleration or high-speed driving, since the motors are drawing maximum power from the battery.

Maintenance and durability of hub motors

Hub motors have fewer moving parts than traditional engines, which means less can wear out. There is no oil to change, no spark plugs, no timing belt, and no transmission fluid. The motors are sealed units, so dirt and water cannot easily get inside.

However, hub motors do wear out over time. The bearings that support the motor shaft can wear, and the permanent magnets can lose strength if the motor overheats repeatedly. The cooling system is critical — if it fails, the motor can overheat and suffer permanent damage in minutes.

Rimac designs the Nevera's motors and cooling system to last the life of the car under normal driving. For owners who track the car or drive it hard regularly, the cooling system and motor bearings will wear faster. Replacement motors are expensive, so maintaining the cooling system is essential.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Nevera have four motors instead of one or two?

Four motors allow the Nevera to send power to all four wheels when ready and independently. This gives it better acceleration, better traction in corners, and more precise handling control than a car with one or two centrally mounted motors. The trade-off is added weight and complexity in the cooling system.

Do hub motors make the Nevera harder to repair?

Hub motors are sealed units, so basic repairs are limited to replacing the entire motor. If one motor fails, you cannot straightforward repair the internal parts — you swap out the whole unit. This makes repairs expensive but straightforward. Most owners will never need motor repair if they maintain the cooling system.

Can hub motors overheat during normal driving?

During normal highway driving, the Nevera's hub motors stay cool because they are not working at maximum output. Overheating happens during hard acceleration, track driving, or repeated high-speed runs. The cooling system is designed to handle these situations, but sustained abuse can cause the motors to throttle back power to protect themselves.

How much does it cost to replace a hub motor in the Nevera?

Rimac does not publish motor replacement costs, but hub motor replacements in high-performance cars typically cost between $10,000 and $20,000 per motor, plus labor. Since the Nevera is a low-production hypercar, parts and service are expensive and only available through Rimac or authorized dealers.

Is regenerative braking the same in all four motors?

The Nevera's computer can adjust regenerative braking independently at each wheel, similar to how it adjusts power during acceleration. This allows the car to recover more energy from the wheels with better grip and less from wheels with less grip, improving efficiency and handling during braking.