The electric automotive revolution is not just about the big players in the industry. Smaller car brands can also contribute to this global shift. The latest in line is none other than Koenigsegg, the small Swedish manufacturer that has specialized in developing some of the world’s fastest exotic cars since its founding in 1994.
This time around, Koenigsegg has delivered its very first electric motor developed entirely in-house. Called Quark, this tiny motor pictured next to an energy drink can to illustrate the unit’s smallness, is said to be based on a new torque/power balance between radial (power dense) and axial (torque dense) flux topology called Raxial Flux.
The manufacturer even integrated a pair of Quark motors with the recently unveiled David inverter and planetary gear sets to create the torque vectoring Terrier drive unit.
While Koenigsegg’s plans are still geared toward performance, including the Gemera with three electric motors and a twin-turbocharged 3-cylinder small block, the purpose of this Quark motor is to be able to be installed in a multitude of applications, including electric drives for automobiles, but also the aerospace industry, the marine industry and anything else that can be powered by an electric motor.
Despite its size, the motor develops an estimated 335 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. And when you add the two motors and the entire Terrier drivetrain, which weighs only 85 kg, the total power output is 671 horsepower and 811 lb-ft of torque.
It is of course too early to know the full potential of this new Koenigsegg technology, but we must admit that the power generated by this pair of motors is impressive, although the battery pack must not be too heavy to reduce performance. We’ll see in the months and years to come how the Swedish firm manages to market this drive unit.
