Rimac Technology: Meet Our People

All the way from Argentina to Croatia :) tell us more about your professional background:

Nicolas: I am mechanical engineer by profession and got my degree at the National University of Rosario, which is my hometown. Back as a student I worked part time as a mechanical designer for a cargo train producer. As a part of a scholarship, I lived for 20 months in Germany where I completed two full time internships: one at Porsche AG related to class A surfaces design (the so called “strak”) and the second at Porsche Engineering GmbH in the tolerance management department.

After the scholarship, back in Argentina, I worked as a young professional in the project management department at Renova S.A. - one of the biggest soybean oil producers in the world, until I got Rimac’s offer, which really took me by surprise.

When was the first time you heard about Rimac Technology?

Ariel: I was already aware of the company and its field of expertise, but the first time I really investigated was when we started with the Battery Challenge.

How did you hear about the Battery Challenge and when did you decide to apply?

Nicolas: It was thanks to my friend Seba. It was around April 2020 when he wrote to me with the proposal to participate, which he had come across on LinkedIn.

It was a tough time during the start of the pandemic, and home- quarantine was quite strict in my country. So, why not spend the time on something fruitful and exciting? I said “yes” the very same day. It was just the two of us and we wanted to work as a team with new people, so we gathered three other team members. That is how Seba, Luka, Praveen, Agus and I ended up participating in the challenge - each of us from different points across the globe.

What did the process look like?

Nicolas: We had around 15 days to develop a full battery pack concept, given certain requirements. For example, we had to achieve a certain range for a specific drive cycle of a car that would be used in a shared strategy. All subsystems of the pack had to be included: thermal system, electrical architecture, BMS, structure, etc. The final deliverables were a final report and a 3D model of the full battery pack concept. The evaluation criteria was clear and split into multiple areas so different aspects could be evaluated - not only the technical aspects but also how the team could put everything together in such a short time.

All in all, everything was specified and there were no ambiguities in respect to how we should proceed. So we gave it full throttle. We finished everything just in time, some hours before the deadline. After, we were informed that we were among the five teams selected as finalists and gave a live presentation via Teams. Some months passed and the hope was vanishing until we got the notice… We won!

And for you Ariel??

Ariel: The brief was very clear from the beginning. The proposal left a lot of room to go a bit crazy with designs, so we used this to our advantage and tried to be as innovative as possible within the limitations. We had two weeks to submit a design, for which we had to deliver a CAD file and a full report of what we put together. After the submission, we were told that we were among the top five teams, and we would have to prepare a presentation for the members of the Battery Systems Engineering department (many of which are now my colleagues ). A few weeks after that, were told that we had been selected as the second-best proposal. After this process, HR contacted me to have some additional one-to-one interviews and I subsequently received an offer to join the company – which I was very happy to accept.?

Looking back on the challenge...how do you feel about your role now within RT?

Nicolas: The first thing that comes to my mind when I look back is “wow, this is crazy”. My life changed completely from one moment to another. With regards my actual tasks, it can be quite surprising how similar they can be to what we started as a contest for fun. I encountered many similar situations in my real job. From understanding and analyzing requirements to calculating thermal circuits and modelling components in CAD software.?

Top 10 things about your job guys?

-?There is huge opportunity to learn a lot. In a larger automotive company, you might be responsible for one single component. Here, you are in daily contact with a wide variety technologies and components and always have guidance from colleagues to support you if needed.

-?Colleagues and managers always recognize when you are going above and beyond to deliver your tasks.

-??The company is ahead of the game compared to the rest of the industry, so this gives us competitive edge that is not present elsewhere.

-?We have freedom to manage our tasks and time as needed, whilst always ensuring timely delivery.

-?The people I work with are super friendly and easy to work with, which makes daily tasks a lot more manageable. Every other day we socialize, so most of my colleagues are also some of my dearest friends.

-?We have the possibility of working from home.

-?The possibility to speak and be heard, and to know one’s inputs are being considered.

-?The ease to make conversation with anyone in the company. A Teams message is enough to reach the person needed, no matter the rank.

-?The companies we work with, which includes many major OEMs.

-?The diversity of people and cultures. I can name more than 20 nationalities I’ve been in contact with inside Rimac. I find that impressive and very interesting.

Have you adapted to your new life in Croatia?

Ariel: I’ve been here for more than a year and a half and feel like a local. Zagreb is not too big (especially when coming from Buenos Aires) so it is easy to explore all the different sides of it. I’ve also had the chance to travel around the coast and other parts of the country and it is just amazing. Just to think that in three hours I can be in an amazing tourist destination like Split and spend the weekend there is crazy. I am still struggling a bit with my Croatian (va? jezik je vrlo te?ok) but I am making progress... Or so I am told. But the good thing is that everywhere you go you will find someone that speaks English, so not speaking the language is not an obstacle for a normal day to day life.

What do you miss the most about Argentina?

Nicolas: What I miss the most is definitely my family and my friends. It is difficult from time to time to be so far and not to be able to visit them spontaneously. Every time I come back, the “goodbye” is extremely difficult to me. Also, spending my free time in my city in those places which I feel are “my places”, my favorites. The food, the culture and the best Malbec wine are also things I miss.?

Can you make a comparison - Argentina vs. Croatia? (the good and the bad)

Nicolas: The first good thing I noticed when I arrived in Zagreb was how safe the city is. As Croatia is a small country, people can travel around easily and in a short space of time. It also happens at a “continental” scale. Living here gives the possibility of experiencing different countries and diverse cultures just during the weekend. How awesome is that?

Ariel: On the good side, I would say that there are a lot of similarities. People are really warm and try to welcome you as soon as you get here in everything. I think that the Latin spirit is very similar to the southern European. On the other side, I would say that sometimes there is a bit of unnecessary bureaucracy on both countries that can slow down some processes, but nothing that would stop you from getting things done.

How do you see the future of EV's?

Nicolas: I personally think it is very promising. Maybe with some small changes but, for sure, it is in constant growth and will be for the foreseeable future. ICEs - at least as we know them know - are not going to last for long. When we really find the path for circular economy creation in the whole lifecycle of an electric car – which includes green electricity generation, material recycling – we will certainly ensure the future of EVs.

Your advice for all future RT engineers coming to Rimac Technology?

Ariel: Take the chance and come here, we need you ?there is plenty of stuff to do and a lot of room to grow and learn.?

Nicolas: Embrace the challenge, enjoy your time in the company and don’t be afraid to propose crazy ideas! ??