Sweden has built a reputation for pushing the forefront of engine creation for hypercars, with companies that constantly blur the line between design and performance. Koenigsegg is a standout — the Swedish hypercar maker has always been all-in on innovation, especially when it comes to electric power. In the last few years, electric motors have completely reshaped the industry, delivering big performance in smaller, more efficient packages. Still, getting the balance right between power and weight remains one of the toughest engineering puzzles out there, especially in the hypercar world, where the performance demands are off the charts.
Hypercars are very different
Engineers have to pull every bit of power from the lightest possible components, all while keeping things cool and reliable. It’s a tightrope walk, and getting it wrong can sink a car’s entire performance. Koenigsegg isn’t backing down from that challenge. Their latest electric motor packs a serious punch into a surprisingly compact and lightweight design — a move that could reset the bar for what’s possible in high-performance EV powertrains.
Koenigsegg has never shied away from bold engineering, and their latest electric motor, the Quark, fits right in. Built for the four-seat Gemera, this tiny unit weighs only 63 pounds but delivers serious performance — 335 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. For scale, it’s roughly the size of a 330-milliliter energy drink can, yet it hits like something much larger.
Koenigsegg’s state-of-the-art engine
The Quark, first revealed in 2022, combines two types of motor designs — radial and axial flux — to find a middle ground between power and torque. Rather than delve into the technical details, just know this setup gives Koenigsegg an industry-leading ratio of torque, power, and weight. The peak numbers only hold for about 20 seconds, which is standard for electric motors.
After that, power drops to 134 horsepower and 184 pound-feet, which works well for the Gemera, since it has three electric motors plus a 600-hp three-cylinder engine. Koenigsegg uses some seriously high-end materials in the Quark, like aerospace-grade steel and hollow carbon fiber for the rotor, part of their Air core technology. The Quark was designed with aerospace and marine uses in mind.
Efficiency is key, according to the CEO
Koenigsegg’s CEO pointed out that the Quark motor is very efficient and hits a sweet spot when it comes to torque, power, and weight. Because it spins at the right speeds, the motor can often skip the usual transmission step in things like boats, planes, or VTOL crafts. That means less weight, less wasted energy, and fewer parts to worry about. Sure, smaller motors might have higher peak power-to-weight numbers, but they usually need a transmission to get the right speed and torque, which adds weight and complexity.
Koenigsegg also offers the Terrier, an EV drive unit that pairs two Quarks with a compact inverter and planetary gear sets. The Terrier delivers 670 horsepower and 811 lb-ft of torque, weighs just 187 pounds, and includes torque vectoring across an axle. It’s designed to bolt straight onto a car’s frame for a sleek, powerful setup.
A UK manufacturer creates lighter engines
Donut Lab focused on making their motors as lightweight as possible. According to an article by IEEE Spectrum, their largest supercar-level motor measures 53 centimeters (about 21 inches) in diameter and weighs just 40 kilograms (88 pounds). That translates to an impressive power-to-weight ratio of roughly 9.6 horsepower per pound, or 15.75 kW per kilogram.
Donut Lab claims their motor delivers nearly six times the output of Lordstown’s motor at the same weight. Take the Koenigsegg Gemera’s “Dark Matter” motor — it weighs 40 kilograms, uses a six-phase radial-flux design, and pumps out up to 597 kW (800 horsepower) with 1,250 NM of torque. That gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 14.9 kW/kg, making it a real standout in the field.