The mad Swedish supercar scientists at Koenigsegg are known for making ludicrous, limited-run, high-performance vehicles, like the absurd 1,500-horsepower Regera.
Well, they appear to have outdone themselves. Or maybe, over-reached themselves? Take your pick.
Yes, it’s not going to make the same kind of dent in transportation emissions as, say, a Toyota Rav4 Hybrid, but the new 1,700-horsepower Koenigsegg Gemera is a fascinating piece of automotive technology, according to a special report by Sean O’Kane, in The Verge.
The Gemera’s hybrid powertrain is made up of three electric motors and a three-cylinder combustion engine that Koenigsegg says runs on renewable alcohol fuel, the report said.
All four of these power units are clustered around the Gemera’s rear axle. But the supercar is still an all-wheel drive machine — Koenigsegg’s first — which the company accomplishes by using a direct drive system that runs from the rear of the car to the front axle, the report said.
The powertrain is an evolution of what Koenigsegg employed on the Regera, but tweaked to the max.
There is a 500-horsepower electric motor for each rear wheel, with the 600-horsepower combustion engine sitting in between. The third, 400-horsepower electric motor sits in front of this package and is attached to the crankshaft that drives the front wheels, the report said.
And just behind those front wheels (and located under the direct drive system) is the 800-volt, 15kWh battery pack from which the electric motors draw their power, the report said.
Got all that?
The benefits of this wild hybrid powertrain are multifold. For one thing, Koenigsegg told The Verge that the single gear direct drive setup allows the car to achieve its incredible performance with higher efficiency and less weight than “any other hybrid solution.”
The result is a car that can go up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) before needing to recharge or refuel, go from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in a brain-liquefying 1.9 seconds, and … get this … reach a top speed of more than 400 km/h (about 250 mph).
Readers, that’s not a typo. You read it right, 400 km/h for a hybrid.
As for the rest of the car, it’s just as weird.
The seats have memory foam and can be clad in leather or Alcantara fabric. There are two wireless smartphone charging pads. The large, protruding 13-inch touchscreen is compatible with Apple CarPlay, as is the one for rear-seat passengers. There’s also a 360-degree camera on the dashboard that floats.
Exactly why, we’re not sure. An amusing toy for rich people?
And since the Gemera uses cameras instead of side-view mirrors, there are screens poking out from each A-pillar that offers the driver a view of the person they just left in the dust.
Most of us will never get a chance to drive one of the 300 that will be made, let alone consider buying something so rare, but the technology is remarkable.
No word yet on pricing, but it is likely to be more than US$1 million.
