The Regera is Koenigsegg’s most luxurious hypercar but that is not its main quality as it was developed with mind-blowing performance in mind. The monstrous force of the hybrid powertrain is delivered to the wheels instantly through an innovative in-house developed transmission.
The car’s name is a Swedish verb that means "to reign" or "to rule," and reigning over the open road was the idea behind the development of Koenigsegg’s latest flagship model.
When it was unveiled in 2016 it was the fastest and most powerful production car ever built. Being handcrafted to perfection, it delivers instant power at astonishing speeds.
In less than 23 seconds it can accelerate from 0 to 400 kph (0-249 mph), which is very close to the electronically limited top speed of 404 kph (251 mph).
On 23 September 2019m on an airfield in Sweden, the Ragera broke the 0–400–0 kph (0–249–0 mph) acceleration record for a production car, with a time of 31.49 seconds.
It got to 400 kph (0-249 mph) in 22.87 seconds, and decelerated to a complete stop in 8.62 seconds, breaking the record set by another Koenigsegg, the Agera RS, by 1.8 seconds.
Producing the enormous power behind this feat is the hybrid tandem of a 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 ICE that produces 1,100 hp (820 kW; 1,115 PS) and three electric YASA motors, with a total capacity of 697 hp (520 kW; 707 PS).
Photo: Koenigsegg Automotive AB
Even more spectacular than this unprecedented hybrid powertrain is the revolutionary Koenigsegg Direct Drive (KDD) transmission system, invented by none other than Christian von Koenigsegg himself.
It was developed by the Swedish manufacturer’s Advanced Engineering Team specifically to cope with the Regera massive power output.
The KDD effectively removes the traditional gearbox out of the equation and uses the three electric motors to manage the power.
It reduces drivetrain losses by 50% compared to a traditional transmission because there are no gears working in series with the final drive, just direct power instantly delivered from the engine to the wheels.
The Regera has a motor that provides electric direct drive for each rear wheel, and one on the crankshaft that has a series of functions. It produces torque-fill, acts as a starter motor, and aids the regenerative braking system.
At low speeds and in reverse, the two powerful YASA axial flux motors that power each rear wheel are solely in charge of moving the car.
When speed increases the V8 starts kicking in, helped by the crankshaft-mounted motor through a clutch-slip mechanism that uses hydraulic coupling to convert torque.
Photo: Koenigsegg Automotive AB
The combustion engine gains revs and power through this system, which simulates traditional downshifts using the right paddle behind the steering wheel. The one on the left can be used to charge the battery pack through the regenerative braking system.
Koenigsegg uses an 800 volt, 4.5kWh battery pack that provides an amazing 525kW of discharge and up to 200kW of recharge.
This makes the Regera the world’s first production car to use an 800-volt battery, which is similar in terms of power to those found in Formula 1 cars.
The Swedish carmaker is in the process of manufacturing 80 units of the Regera with both left and right-hand drive configurations. All of them have been sold out since the summer of 2017.
Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times. Full profile
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