Bugatti CEO: Combustion Engines Will Power Supercars for Decades

In an era when automakers are racing to electrify their lineups, Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac is making a counterintuitive case: the most exclusive, high-performance supercars will remain wedded to combustion engines for the foreseeable future. Speaking to CNBC, Rimac stated plainly that he expects that trajectory to hold "for a very long time," signaling a deliberate strategic divergence from mainstream automotive trends.

The position carries particular weight coming from Rimac, who built his reputation as a pioneer of electric hypercars before taking the helm at one of the world's most storied automotive brands. His view reflects a nuanced reading of the supercar market — one where emotional experience, heritage, and the sensory theater of a roaring engine carry commercial value that battery technology has yet to replicate at the ultra-luxury tier.

Read more HPE CEO Says AI Demand Is Broad-Based Across Customer Segments →

The broader EV transition, while accelerating across mass-market and even premium segments, does not automatically translate to the rarefied world of six- and seven-figure performance vehicles. Buyers in that segment are insulated from fuel-cost pressures and regulatory nudges that are reshaping consumer choices lower down the market. For them, the combustion engine is not merely a powertrain — it is a central part of the ownership identity.

Rimac's stance also implicitly acknowledges a practical engineering reality: at extreme performance thresholds, the weight penalty of large battery packs remains a genuine constraint, and the visceral feedback of a high-revving internal combustion engine remains difficult to fully simulate electrically. That calculus could shift, but Rimac is clearly betting it will not shift quickly enough to disrupt Bugatti's product philosophy within any near-term planning horizon.

Continue reading at US Top News and Analysis.