During a visit to Koenigsegg’s factory in Sweden for the unveiling of his latest LEGO project dedicated to Sadair Spear, I asked Christian von Koenigsegg a question that is more relevant today than ever: “Where does the company stand on building electric cars?”
With Ferrari recently unveiling the Lucero, and some of its other competitors at least discussing electrification, it would make sense that Christian and his team have at least considered the idea. For now, at least, Koenigsegg models leave the Engelholm plant with internal combustion power or hybrid systems. And that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.
There is no technical deficiency behind that decision, nor a lack of information: the company’s founder and CEO are convinced that Koenigsegg will have the full capacity to build an electric hypercar if it wants to. He just doesn’t see it as the right path right now for the kind of car he wants to build.
This story originally appeared on Motor1 Italy
Koenigsegg Sadair Javelin
Photo by: Koenigsegg
a decade apart
The most surprising thing is his admission that his thinking has changed with time. He told me:
‘If you had asked me 10 years ago, I probably would have thought that by 2026 we would already have an electric Koenigsegg.’
At the time, he saw EVs like most of the industry: the natural endpoint for high-performance cars. Then something changed—and not because of spreadsheets or perfect performance statistics. For von Koenigsegg, the internal combustion engine did more than just propel the car.
Vibrations, sounds, mechanical responses, character: he believes these are the elements that create a driving experience that cannot be replaced in the hypercar world. He uses an image that captures the idea well: A combustion-powered car can feel almost like a living organism, while an EV – no matter how fast or advanced – operates on a different emotional level.
‘It never becomes an animal.’
Photo by: Koenigsegg
performance on everything
Koenigseggs, the founders emphasize, are not created to solve everyday transportation. They have air conditioning, comfortable seats, modern infotainment – sure – but these are features you can find in much less expensive cars too. He notes:
‘The real value of the hypercar lies elsewhere: in the design, in the engineering, in the sensations it provides, in the almost emotional bond between driver and machine.’
That’s why, in his view, the combustion engine is not a stopgap technology that will disappear as soon as viable alternatives emerge. It is an integral part of what Koenigsegg has to offer.
Then there is the question of the environment, which von Koenigsegg views from a different angle than that which usually dominates public debate. He told me:
‘With hypercars, you can’t compare EVs and combustion engines using the same criteria as mass-market cars. A vehicle with a very large battery has to be driven a lot more to ‘pay’ for the impact of that battery’s output, in environmental terms. But hypercars are rarely driven—often they sit in collectors’ garages for years—and that break-even point may never come.’
Photo by: Koenigsegg
The estimates they cited point to a range of about 50,000 miles beyond which a car with a smaller battery – or no battery at all – would be more profitable than a pure EV. With renewable fuels or biofuels, this range increases to approximately 87,000 miles.
‘Not everyone agrees with that explanation, but it helps explain the reasoning behind the company’s technical choices.’
However, Koenigsegg has not ignored electrification. The company had also started work on a fully electric platform. However, in the end, it concluded that a hybrid setup was the best balance for what its customers wanted. A relatively small battery allows electric driving in the city, access to restricted-traffic areas and quiet operation when needed.
It also enables regenerative braking, reducing the amount of material required compared to a huge battery pack. This same philosophy is reflected in the Gemera, where combustion and electric power work together for maximum performance without compromising versatility.
Von Koenigsegg doesn’t rule out a fully electric hypercar. Much will depend on how the regulations develop and, above all, on battery technology: if packs become lighter, more compact and less dependent on critical raw materials, some of their existing objections may lose weight.
At that point the conversation will turn to other issues, such as overall vehicle mass and driving experience. However, for now, the company’s position is clear: in hypercars, Koenigsegg believes the engine still offers something that no alternative has managed to replicate.
Photo by: Koenigsegg
Today, Koenigseggs run on E85, a blend consisting mostly of ethanol with gasoline. According to von Koenigsegg, the gasoline component could one day be replaced by synthetic fuels. He also outlined a more ambitious scenario: fuel produced using CO2 obtained directly from the atmosphere and renewable energy, where part of the collected carbon dioxide would be stored permanently underground, and the rest would be used to produce fuel.
He says that this is a process that can also lead to a net-negative climate balance. As for what the cost of all this might be, von Koenigsegg jokingly referred to it as a kind of “tax on nature” – a quip that sums up his vision well: Continue to evolve the internal combustion engine, while finding increasingly sustainable ways to run it.
