Techno Chronicle | Small engine, big performance

Who says car says engine. The part is the heart of any vehicle. But unlike humans, in auto mechanics, you don’t always want the heart to be so big.

Bertrand Godin
special collaboration

Let me explain. As drivers, we all have an engine that is totally adapted to our car, and we all want it to give us the optimum power. However, the arrival of electric cars on the market is changing the situation.

Since these vehicles are particularly heavy, manufacturers tend to look for a very light engine, and that is precisely what the Swedish firm Koenigsegg has created for them with the Quark electric motor.

Pocket size

Quark is very small. It is only 1 foot tall and weighs only 30 kg. In comparison, a standard engine weighs between 120 and 126 kg, depending on the brand and model. This featherweight quality, therefore, is due to its materials. It is made with a steel that is used in the aerospace industry and in the world of motorsport, and with carbon fiber (for the rotor).

You guessed it, therefore, it is very easy to carry, pocket-sized. That said, it may be compact, but it’s not too small. Quark can produce 335 hp and 486 lb-ft of torque, where torque is the twisting force related to the rotational force of the engine. In short, let’s say that its power surprises more than one, just like its design, by the way.

But still, if we go even more in detail, just to satisfy the most connoisseurs, know that the operating principle of the Quark engine is based on a “Raxial Flux”. This is the term used by the Swedish firm to describe the mixture between radial flux and axial flux, which combines power density and torque density.

The result is that the engine does not need a lowered transmission like many small high-revving rivals, or at most it will need a very small transmission, which helps improve efficiency while saving in weight and complexity.

For those who know a little less about it, let’s say that we are talking about a record in terms of weight/power ratio.

Still in a wind of lightness, the Swedish firm has also created a powertrain that brings together two Quark motors and an inverter, the inverter being the device that transforms the direct current from the battery into alternating current in the electric motors. The manufacturer wants to establish this group as the leader in its category in the world of electric vehicles, and it has named its work the “Terrier” group.

Burrow? Exactly. Because he has the same characteristics as terrier dogs, which are small, but so fiery. The group weighs only 88 kg, occupies a volume of 40 L and can produce a total of 680 hp.

First test on the Gemera

It is to the future Gemera hybrid, also created by Koenigsegg, that we will apply the new technology. The Gemera, a four-seat wagon-like coupe, will feature three Quark engines, which will be paired with a 2.0L turbocharged three-cylinder engine. and that the acceleration of the vehicle is “brutal”.

Small detail, to avoid misunderstandings or unnecessary dreams, it is good to know that the Gemera will retail around 2.5 million dollars and that its construction should be limited to 300 copies. The Swedish firm, recognized for its road-legal racing cars, is therefore not targeting everyone, far from it.

That said, we can easily predict that other models will also be equipped with a Quark engine, since the firm Koenigsegg intends to offer it to various manufacturers. It also considers that its products could also serve the marine and aviation sectors.

In these areas, it’s a safe bet that we will also appreciate this combination of performance and lightness. Koenigsegg’s creations would suddenly become major assets in terms of technological advances for the racing cars of the future.