Koenigsegg is responsible for numerous speed records and plenty of ass-handings to Bugatti. You can say they are the underdog that fought its way through the hypercar food chain to make it to the top.
But Koenigsegg, the brand has greatly surpassed Koenigsegg, the car manufacturer. Since 1996, the company has produced just 135 cars, including prototypes, and has 80 Regera units planned.
The automaker has indulged in limited-production, multi-million-dollar hypercars, however, Koenigsegg can’t grow as an enterprise by only selling the $2.2 million Regera. There are not that many willing and able to dish out so much money for a car they will barely drive.
Christian von Koenigsegg announced a new joint project with Swedish company NEVS and Freevalve. The plan is to develop a new “affordable” hybrid hypercar that would cost $1,150,000 (1 million EUR).
Yes, the affordable tag is hilarious. But, at half the cost of the Regera, Koenigsegg believes there is a decent market for his new hypercar.
Who is NEVS?
NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden) acquired the control package of Saab Automobile in 2012. The company focuses on sustainable transportation and electric vehicle solutions.
This partnership is not surprising. In 2009, Koenigsegg Group was on the final stretch of buying Saab from General Motors, but backed out before finalizing the deal.
NEVS will help Koenigsegg lower the cost of the vehicle without compromising on performance. We may see the new car manufactured in one of the ex-Saab factories. NEVS also has significant connections in the Asian EV and hybrid market. The mystery target group for Koenigsegg’s new vehicle may be in the eastern markets.
Even more interesting is the ambition to create a neutral CO2 hypercar that still uses an internal combustion engine. Koenigsegg plans to make that possible with a combination of technologies:
- 100% alcohol fuel offering better efficiency and less emissions compared to petrol
- Hybrid power train incorporating electric propulsion, likely not based on the Regera
- Camless cylinder head developed by Freevalve
Freevalve promises ultimate efficiency
Freevale is a camless cylinder head developed by Koenigsegg’s sister company. Here is a video of Christian von Koenigsegg explaining how the technology works.
Variable valve timing and variable cam profile have revolutionized modern internal combustion engines. By varying the timing and duration when a valve opens or closes, you allow the engine to achieve optimal efficiency.
You don’t need your engine to produce peak power all the times – just when you floor it. Variable valve technology adjusts how the cylinders breathe, using just the right amount of fuel to produce the needed power.
However, the traditional camshaft is inherently flawed. There are just so many different lobe profiles you can use in a camshaft. It’s mechanically linked to the crankshaft, so adjusting the valve timing in real time is true engineering wizardry.
Freevalve promises to solve these problems by replacing the camshaft with pneumatic actuators. The actuators are not mechanically linked to the crankshaft. The central computer gives out the commands when to open and close.
This allows each valve to operate individually from the rest. You can program them to open and close precisely when you want to. You can keep them open or closed or even halfway. You can also shut off individual cylinders.
The camless technology allows you to tune the engine in real time according to the driving conditions. You get more torque, more power, more efficiency, and better fuel economy.
The Freevalve cylinder head made a debut with the Qoros Qamfree concept at the 2016 Guangzhou Motor Show in China. However, until now it hasn’t made an appearance in mainstream brands.
Despite the Freevalve connection, all of Koenigsegg’s vehicles run dual overhead camshafts. So, this means Koenigsegg is confident enough to stake their hard-earned reputation into this new technology. Exciting times.