Supercars

Plus: he’s still keen on cresting 300mph in a Jesko Absolut

koenigsegg: electric hypercars “need a reason to exist”
koenigsegg: electric hypercars “need a reason to exist”
koenigsegg: electric hypercars “need a reason to exist”

The boss of Koenigsegg reckons ‘extreme’ electric hypercars need to add something to the mix rather than just speed to make them worthwhile.

Speaking to Top Gear, Christian von Koenigsegg confirmed his company’s intention to build an electric hypercar but noted how it posed a number of difficulties.

“That’s the challenge for all extreme car brands,” he said, when pushed on how to make electric cars exciting. “There are ways. I don’t think anyone has yet nailed the huge differentiation from a Tesla Model S Plaid or Porsche Taycan Turbo. I think they are so close in performance and range to a hyper EV that it’s a bit discomforting.

“I think you need to have a reason to exist. Just making it cool but not adding any features or functions of meaning, and then charging ten times more, that doesn’t do it for me,” he added.

He pointed to work he’s already carrying out, referencing the Koenigsegg Gemera’s electrified element. “We’re already developing the battery and the inverter and the e-motors. We’re going to have the most power dense e-motor and inverters in the world, but that is only part of the equation.

“It doesn’t make a super big difference if you’re 20kg lighter on your e-motor and inverters. That helps, but it doesn’t make a huge difference. It’s difficult to do, and you should do it if you can, but that’s only ten per cent of what I’m thinking needs to be different.”

(A quick note about the Gemera – the factory is currently being built and should be up and running by April 2023. “Even though the world is in a strange place when it comes to materials and so on, it looks like we’re going to make that time schedule,” Christian told us. Deliveries for the car will commence at the end of 2023.)

Koenigsegg also reiterated his desire to crest the 300mph barrier in a Jesko Absolut, but cautioned on some of the dangers involved in such an attempt. “With the numbers we’re seeing and the performance we’ve already experienced, it would be a shame not to show what it can do.

“At the same time it’s really scary stuff. When we did the prevailing record of a homologated production car in two directions at 277mph in Nevada on an open road, it’s just super dangerous.

“I would like to have a closed-off area, maybe like Ehra-Lessien where it’s very wide, where you can take out some of that side of it, because it’s scary enough anyway. We’d definitely want to have our hand over it just for safety reasons. Checking the venue, the road, having an experienced driver.”

And on the note about homologated cars, he pointed to the lengths the company has gone to in order to make their cars as production ready as possible. “If you look at the contenders [for the 300mph+ crown], most of them are not homologated cars. For us, most of our development goes into crash testing, airbags, emissions testing, OBD, conformity of production… all these kinds of nitty gritty, annoying details that are designed for high volume cars that makes our car sellable worldwide on each market.

“And of course it makes the car heavier, more complex, it gives the engine less power. I’m super impressed by all of those cars, but given that they don’t have that homologation, it’s like comparing apples and oranges. If you bring that into the mix, you can bring in these ‘rocket cars’ from the salt flats – they don’t have airbags, or emissions controls or OBD either. And they go 1,000mph.

“It’s very impressive what they’re doing, but there needs to be this kind of distinction between a fully homologated production car, or something where it’s completely free and you can do whatever you want. There’s a difference in effort, and complexity.”

Keyword: Koenigsegg: electric hypercars “need a reason to exist”

CAR'S NEWS RELATED

Epic 900-Mile Test Drive Is How You Evaluate A Supercar

The Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 feels right at home in the Spanish Pyrenees.

View more: Epic 900-Mile Test Drive Is How You Evaluate A Supercar

Supercars to recycle used race tyres

Photos: Edge Photographics Supercars has taken another major step towards a sustainable future partnering with Queensland-based clean conversion company Entyr. The partnership will see the two organisations come together for a program that aims to recycle used race tyres efficiently instead of them going to be buried underground or ...

View more: Supercars to recycle used race tyres

McLaren Says The 750S Is The Beginning Of The End For Pure V8 Supercars

There might be limited-run V8-only models but the 750S is quite possibly the last of the breed among series production cars.

View more: McLaren Says The 750S Is The Beginning Of The End For Pure V8 Supercars

Listen To The Koenigsegg Jesko's Engine Make 1,614 HP On A Dyno

Did you know the Koenigsegg shield emblem is on the face of each piston?

View more: Listen To The Koenigsegg Jesko's Engine Make 1,614 HP On A Dyno

This new HiPhi A hypercar is a carbon fiber-clad collaborative EV teasing an awesome future

Luxury EV marque HiPhi introduced its latest model from its native Shanghai this morning and it’s a marvel in futuristic design language. Described by HiPhi’s founder as a “work of art for the new era,” the HiPhi A is the young automaker’s first collaborative model, built with the help ...

View more: This new HiPhi A hypercar is a carbon fiber-clad collaborative EV teasing an awesome future

Maserati MC20 Notte is Luminous Supercar Finished in Black

Image: Maserati Image: Maserati Image: Maserati Image: Maserati Image: Maserati Image: Maserati Image: Maserati New ModelsBy: Alex Shahini Earning the title of the first MC20-based limited edition, the new Notte will be capped to 50 units and features snazzy luminous paintwork that glows in the dark. Image: Maserati That’s ...

View more: Maserati MC20 Notte is Luminous Supercar Finished in Black

Supercars releases 2024 calendar

Photos: Edge Photographics The calendar for the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship has been announced with 12 rounds to make up the schedule Running between between February and November, the 2024 calendar consists of a similar list of events to this year’s schedule, while also celebrating a number of significant ...

View more: Supercars releases 2024 calendar

This Homebuilt V8 Supercar Uses The De Tomaso Pantera For Inspiration

It uses a 32-valve Ford V8 and a four-speed transmission from the Porsche 930.

View more: This Homebuilt V8 Supercar Uses The De Tomaso Pantera For Inspiration

Here’s How Much Quicker An F1 Car Is Than Two Of The World’s Fastest Supercars

Aston Martin .1R Bicycle Is A Hypercar On Two Wheels

Ferrari Unveils Limited-Run 499P Modificata Track-Only Supercar

Lamborghini Waiting To See If Synthetic Fuel Has A Future Before Retiring ICE Supercars

The Rimac Nevera has arrived in Singapore

Intense Supercar title fight continues on Sunshine Coast

Nissan unveils electric hypercar with insane 1 MW of power

Ferrari SP-8 Is A Roofless One-Off Supercar With F40-Inspired Wheels

New Ferrari V12 Supercar Looks Sleek With Production Body Despite Camo

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus Ends Hypercar Program After Three Seasons

What Mystery Supercar Will McLaren Show Next Month?

Delage Kicks Off Production Of $2.3-Million D12 Hypercar

OTHER CAR NEWS

; Top List in the World https://www.pinterest.com/newstopcar/pins/
Top Best Sushi Restaurants in SeoulTop Best Caribbean HoneymoonsTop Most Beautiful Islands in PeruTop Best Outdoor Grill BrandsTop Best Global Seafood RestaurantsTop Foods to Boost Your Immune SystemTop Best Foods to Fight HemorrhoidsTop Foods That Pack More Potassium Than a BananaTop Best Healthy Foods to Gain Weight FastTop Best Cosmetic Brands in the U.STop Best Destinations for Food Lovers in EuropeTop Best Foods High in Vitamin ATop Best Foods to Lower Your Blood SugarTop Best Things to Do in LouisianaTop Best Cities to Visit in New YorkTop Best Makeup Addresses In PennsylvaniaTop Reasons to Visit NorwayTop Most Beautiful Islands In The WorldTop Best Law Universities in the WorldTop Richest Sportsmen In The WorldTop Biggest Aquariums In The WorldTop Best Peruvian Restaurants In MiamiTop Best Road Trips From MiamiTop Best Places to Visit in MarylandTop Best Places to Visit in North CarolinaTop Best Electric Cars For KidsTop Best Swedish Brands in The USTop Best Skincare Brands in AmericaTop Best American Lipstick BrandsTop Michelin-starred Restaurants in MiamiTop Best Secluded Getaways From MiamiTop Best Things To Do On A Rainy Day In MiamiTop Most Instagrammable Places In MiamiTop Interesting Facts about FlorenceTop Facts About The First Roman Emperor - AugustusTop Best Japanese FoodsTop Most Beautiful Historical Sites in IsraelTop Best Places To Visit In Holy SeeTop Best Hawaiian IslandsTop Reasons to Visit PortugalTop Best Hotels In L.A. With Free Wi-FiTop Best Scenic Drives in MiamiTop Best Vegan Restaurants in BerlinTop Most Interesting Attractions In WalesTop Health Benefits of a Vegan DietTop Best Thai Restaurant in Las VegasTop Most Beautiful Forests in SwitzerlandTop Best Global Universities in GermanyTop Most Beautiful Lakes in GuyanaTop Best Things To Do in IdahoTop Things to Know Before Traveling to North MacedoniaTop Best German Sunglasses BrandsTop Highest Mountains In FranceTop Biggest Hydroelectric Plants in AmericaTop Best Spa Hotels in NYCTop The World's Scariest BridgeTop Largest Hotels In AmericaTop Most Famous Festivals in JordanTop Best European Restaurants in MunichTop Best Japanese Hiking Boot BrandsTop Best Universities in PolandTop Best Tips for Surfing the Web Safely and AnonymouslyTop Most Valuable Football Clubs in EuropeTop Highest Mountains In ColombiaTop Real-Life Characters of Texas RisingTop Best Beaches in GuatelamaTop Things About DR Congo You Should KnowTop Best Korean Reality & Variety ShowsTop Best RockstarsTop Most Beautiful Waterfalls in GermanyTop Best Fountain Pen Ink BrandsTop Best European Restaurants in ChicagoTop Best Fighter Jets in the WorldTop Best Three-Wheel MotorcyclesTop Most Beautiful Lakes in ManitobaTop Best Dive Sites in VenezuelaTop Best Websites For Art StudentsTop Best Japanese Instant Noodle BrandsTop Best Comedy Manhwa (Webtoons)Top Best Japanese Sunglasses BrandsTop Most Expensive Air Jordan SneakersTop Health Benefits of CucumberTop Famous Universities in SwedenTop Most Popular Films Starring Jo Jung-sukTop Interesting Facts about CougarsTop Best Hospitals for Hip Replacement in the USATop Most Expensive DefendersTop Health Benefits of GooseberriesTop Health Benefits of ParsnipsTop Best Foods and Drinks in LondonTop Health Benefits of Rosehip TeaTop Best Air Fryers for Low-fat CookingTop Most Asked Teacher Interview Questions with AnswersTop Best Shopping Malls in ZurichTop The Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens In L.A.Top Best Mexican Restaurants in Miami for Carb-loading rightTop Best Energy Companies in GermanyTop Best Garage HeatersTop Largest Banks in IrelandTop Leading Provider - Audit and Assurance In The USTop Best Jewelry Brands in IndiaTop Prettiest Streets in the UKTop Best Lakes to Visit in TunisiaTop Highest Mountains in Israel