The Swedish sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg has presented its first in-house electric motor and EV-drive unit with pioneering ‘Raxial Flux’ topology. The electric motor called Quark generates a maximum power of 335 horsepower (250 kW) and 443 pound-feet (600 Nm) of torque, which is exceptional because it weighs less than 66 pounds (30 kg).
A key driver for the development of the Quark E-motor was to continue the company’s record-breaking legacy with the Koenigsegg Gemera; while offering the wider market the opportunity to tap into a torque-rich, ultra-compact e-motor for wide-ranging applications, such as EV powertrains, Aerospace, VTOL, Marine and more.
Regarding the “Raxial Flux” approach, Koenigsegg states that this topology offers “the best torque-to-power-to-weight ratio in the industry.” “The Quark is designed to bolster the low-speed range of the Gemera, where you need it, for brutal acceleration,” explained Dragos-Mihai Postariu, electric motor design superhead. “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 400 km/h (249 mph) without any torque or power losses.”
To keep the weight down, the shaft is made of 300M steel, well-known in motorsport and aerospace, and the rotor is made of carbon fiber. Direct cooling was chosen for its higher cooling efficiency and compact design. Without the extra driveline functions for the Gemera, the Quark can drop below 28.5 kg in weight.
The Quark elementary particle is the only particle to experience all four fundamental forces (electromagnetism, gravitation, strong interaction, and weak interaction). The mixing of radial and axial flux layout enables the best torque to power to weight ratio in the industry.
While the company, as mentioned, is also considering other uses, the focus is on use in high-performance sports cars. To do this, Koenigsegg integrated two of the e-motors along with an inverter and planetary gearbox to create an EV torque vectoring drive unit called the Terrier. The inverter, called David, is a six-phase inverter that can power each Quark motor independently with three phases. In the Koenigsegg Gemera, the manufacturer’s first four-seater, three of the electric motors are used as part of a hybrid drive system. The special feature is that the 450 kW combustion engine does not have a gearbox either – the electric motors take over in the lower speed range.
Terrier is a small, powerful dual-motor electric drive capable of generating a rated output of 670 horsepower (500 kW) and 1,200 Nm of torque and weighs only 187 pounds (84 kg). The compact and unique packaging allows the Terrier to be elasto-bolted to the monocoque or chassis directly – thus allowing for the design, engineering, and luxury accommodations previously not possible. This trait also potentially cuts away the complexity of added subframes or weight.
