Koenigsegg e-Motor makes 250kW weighs 30kg

KOENIGSEGG has produced its first electric motor and the compact raxial-flux unit is said to develop more power and torque than any comparable unit available on the market today. 

Known as the “Quark”, the 30kg unit can produce 250kW and 600Nm and is offered in single “Quark” or dual-rotor “Terrier” formats to supplement the performance of the Swedish supercar brand’s combustion-engined supercars. 

The output shafts of the Terrier unit are equipped with planetary gear sets to offer cross-axle torque vectoring. The unit can even be mounted directly to the vehicle chassis to further reduce weight. 

Koenigsegg says it believes there are extensive uses for its e-motor duo, including in aviation and marine applications where it could provide exceptional weight savings.

The e-motors are paired to the brand’s “David” EV inverter which, can convert up to 750kW of power from 850 volts of direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC) power for the Quark motors. In the Koenigsegg Regera, power is drawn from a battery pack that comprises a pair of parallel strings of 192 cells. The 4.5kWh unit weighs just 66kg – and that includes cooling fluids!

“The Quark is designed to bolster the low-speed range of the Gemera (the Swedish marque’s upcoming plug-in hybrid supercar), where you need it, for brutal acceleration,” Koenigsegg electric motor design manager Dragos-Mihai Postariu explained.

“The ICE then focuses on the high-speed range. What this means in terms of performance for the Gemera is a big power surge followed by a continuous record-speed push to 400km/h without any torque or power losses.”

It’s understood the Quark may also be used in forthcoming Polestar models (Koenigsegg teamed up with Polestar back in June 2020), while the Terrier will power future all-electric models.

“We constructed the shaft within the Quark out of 300M steel (which is most notably used in motorsports and aerospace). Direct cooling was chosen for its higher cooling efficiency and compact design. Even the rotor uses the renowned Koenigsegg Aircore hollow carbon-fibre technology,” Koenigsegg electric motor development manager András Székely added.

“We not only overcame the challenge of the Gemera’s powertrain requirements, but exceeded goals of making it lighter and smaller than any electric motors in this class. Without the extra driveline functions required for the Gemera, the Quark’s weight can drop below 28.5 kg.”