How Does Koenigsegg’s Camless Engine Work?

By Bradley Brownell - October 24, 2016

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In this episode of Engineering Explained, we get a deep-dive explanation of how Koenigsegg’s FreeValve camshaft-free engine works, as well as a look into its various benefits. This is the absolute bleeding edge of engine technology, and it could one day trickle down into the cars we drive every day.

For starters, the engine doesn’t use any camshafts, which cuts down on engine weight, especially at the highest part of the engine, in effect lowering the center of gravity. Additionally, a camless engine has fewer moving parts and would not need to have timing chains or timing belts, making them potentially require less maintenance, and definitely take up less space in the engine compartment.

A “FreeValve” engine can easily implement fuel economy methods, including “Atkinson Cycle” and cylinder deactivation controlled electronically rather than mechanically. FreeValve claims a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency, torque, and power, while cutting emissions by 50%.

So is this technology too good to be true? Well, for now it’s basically only capable of being used in super exotics, as it remains far too expensive for “normal” cars. With some investment in controls and technology, it’s certainly a possibility for the future, however. Time will tell.

For now, enjoy the video, and be sure to stick around for the cameo at the very end!