Strategic partnerships and synergies are the order of the day in an increasingly competitive automotive industry. However, it is not so common to see an alliance between a manufacturer of solar electric cars, Lightyear in this case, and one of hypercars such as Koenigesegg. But this alliance is a fact and aims to revolutionize the technology of electric cars.
Lightyear is a Dutch company that, after several years of work, recently presented the Lightyear 0, its first production model. A solar electric car capable of traveling up to 560 kilometers on highway at 130 km/h with a charge of its battery (approves 625 kilometers of autonomy WLTP). It is an exceptionally efficient car, both aerodynamically and energetically, and proof of this is its low consumption.
Of the Koenigsegg we could say many things, but low consumption is not exactly one of its qualities. The Swedish manufacturer uses the latest technology to maximize the performance of its vehicles, to the point that they easily exceed 400 km/h and have broken various acceleration records on several occasions. Koenigsegg is also distinguished by its innovation with technologies such as the Direct Drive transmission of the Regera, its FreeValve engine without a camshaft, or the transmission of 9 relations and 7 clutches of the Jesko. But even Koenigsegg already has a high electrification component.
In a statement, Lightyear has said: “We are pleased to announce that we have partnered with hypercar manufacturer Koenigsegg. The investment and partnership are designed to take automotive technologies to new heights, sharing knowledge and resources to co-develop cutting-edge innovations.”.
The deal comes just weeks after the launch of the Lightyear 0, the world’s first mass-ready solar electric car. The first units, corresponding to the ‘Edition Pioneer’ edition, will be priced at 149,000 euros.
In parallel, Koenigsegg is finalizing preparations to deliver the first production units of the Koenigsegg Gemera, its first plug-in hybrid hypercar. This model, in addition to being the brand’s first plug-in hybrid, will also be the company’s first four-seater car and the first with all-wheel drive. It has 1,748 horsepower thanks to the combination of a “small” 2.0 3-cylinder gasoline engine, three electric motors with 1,100 horsepower and a lithium-ion battery.
Put another way, Koenigsegg already knows something about high-performance electric drives, and that’s why Lightyear has gone after them. As a result of this new agreement, Koenigsegg will help develop Lightyear 2 technologies, the second model of the Dutch company. A car of which, at the moment, we do not know its benefits and its details at a technical level.
According to Christian Koenigsegg, CEO and founder of Koenigsegg, “The automotive industry is undergoing a massive transition to sustainable fuel and technology. lex [Hoefsloot] and his team have developed transformative technologies, and this partnership with Lightyear will ensure our products continue to be at the forefront, which is great news for our customers.”
Lightyear CEO and co-founder Lex Hoefsloot said he is “looking forward to working closely with Christian and his team to drive real change in the industry together.” In the future we will know new details of this association, but we cannot forget that Koenigsegg has internally developed technologies as interesting as the Terrier electrical systemthe name given to the set of two Quark electric motors and the David inverter, the most compact and light in its category, named after the story of David and Goliath. The two Quark electric motors weigh just 28.5 kilos and are capable of delivering 500 kW of power (680 hp) and 1,100 Nm of torque. Since its launch, Koenigsegg announced that these engines could be used in third-party vehicles, even beyond the automotive industry.
David, on the other hand, is a silicon carbide inverter developed entirely by Koenigsegg, capable of providing 1,300 Amps of alternating current to 850 Volts (direct current) in six phases, generating 750 kW of maximum power (1,020 CV). Two of them can be coupled, in the case of the Koenigsegg Gemera, with a total power of 1.5 MW (equivalent to 2,020 horsepower).
