For as much as we love the sound of a lopey camshaft here at Power Automedia, there are some inherent issues with a camshaft-based design that hamper an engine’s performance output capabilities. But then again, there are a ton of issues to contend with when pondering today’s topic as well, for Freevalve technology seems to be stuck in Swedish limbo somewhere. And holy hell would it be awesome — if it worked.

To this day, traditional fixed valve timing engines, variable valve timing motors, and even Fiat’s MultiAir systems remain slaves to their camshaft overlords. Automotive powerplants are better than they’ve ever been, but there is no “one-size fits all” solution. For when it comes to intake and exhaust output, power and efficiency ratings are still light-years away from what they should be. 

Sure, you can slap a high-performance cam in to extract more power, but fuel efficiency and NVH ratings can suffer. Additionally, the mods that must be made to allow this camshaft to operate at optimum efficiency must be tailor-made around whatever camshaft grind has been selected. So forget swapping in a much milder cam before heading out on the town for a little added comfort and fuel economy gains, because… well… ain’t nobody got time for that.

Oh, wouldn’t it be nice if an engine’s valvetrain was not dependent upon piston speeds or camshaft lobe configurations? Just a free-flowing intake and exhaust valve configuration that relies purely upon electronic influence and driver input. Which leads us to wonder, whatever happened to the promise of an engine devoid of camshafts, and a Freevalve design taking its place instead?

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In 2004, a company called Cargine emerged on the scene. Its prototype was an intake side cam-less valvetrain, affixed to a Briggs & Stratton OHV engine. Financially supported by Koenigsegg since its infancy, the company would later go on to change its name to Freevalve in 2012.

Cam You Dig It?

Instead of doing away with camshafts, automotive engineers have just found ways to make them (and their counterparts) better. Ergo, outside of the Wankel rotary engine, there haven’t been many major breakthroughs in the cam-free production engine design over the past century. 

This leads us back to the Freevalve design, and its laggardly release. By this point, it’s been almost a full decade since Koenigsegg first proclaimed that its “Freevalve Technology” was nearing the production phase. So where is it, might you ask? Good question…

Despite having financially backed Freevalve since the early 2000s, Koenigsegg hasn’t managed to find a way to implement this technology. Sure, there have been moments when we thought it was about to launch, but nothing concrete ever materialized.

Take the Freevalve-reliant Koenigsegg Gemera and its 600 horsepower 2.0-liter inline three-banger for instance. This astronomically expensive supercar was supposed to be put into production way back in 2021. But its launch date was eventually bumped back to sometime in 2024. Leaving many to wonder if the Gemera and/or its Freevalve motor will ever receive a green light.

Chinese auto manufacturer, Qoros Auto also had grand aspirations of utilizing Freevalve’s cam-less engine in its Qoros 3 hatchback prototype. Yet outside of snagging a few headlines at the 2016 Guangzhou Motor Show, this far more pedestrian variant never materialized either. Meanwhile, mainstream automakers have released one engine after another that offers much of what Freevalve claims to produce in both power and efficiency departments, all while traditional camshafts remain in play.

So what’s the big hold-up? Surely by now, someone over at Freevalve or Koenigsegg has figured out a way to make this futuristic design a reality. Or have the creative minds over at Freevalve truly become stumped over a way in which to safely and effectively implement this design?

Cam Timing: An Open and Shut Case 

For those looking to familiarize themselves with the whole Freevalve concept, feel “free” to head over to Freevalve’s website for a far more in-depth look at its technologies. However, for those who prefer an abbreviated run-down, the “Cliff Notes” version listed below might be useful.

Essentially, in order for a valvetrain to control the fresh air/fuel mixture and exhaust flow that makes a piston-powered engine stroke cycle possible, a camshaft must be utilized. These fixed forms of valve control regulate how long and how wide open the valvetrain will remain when in operation. Idling at a light results in minute amounts of air and fuel intake, and modest amounts of exhaust out of the tailpipe. Meanwhile, open-throttle scenarios bring the thunder.

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But idling and low-speed driving scenarios struggle in the air velocity department, and as adequate air/fuel blends falter, so too do our torque figures. Hence so many automakers opt to place stock in electric assist hybrid motors, as they help negate these sluggish low-end torque and emission concerns. It is here, within the lower end of the torque range that the whole Freevalve design comes into play.

If you ditch the set programming that is an engine’s camshaft(s), variable valve timing truly does become a “free-for-all” sort of scenario. Just slap a specialized solenoid and some sensors atop each valve, and say goodbye to piston speed reliance and camshaft configuration restrictions.

No longer do the valves have to wait for the camshaft and piston speed to trigger a response from variable valve timing ECU configurations. They just open instantly upon input and stay as open or closed as that throttle input dictates. Just imagine, unlimited variable valve timing controls at your disposal, with each valve operating independently from the next as necessary, with valve overlap providing a seamless driving experience.

The end result is the best of both worlds. Bonkers top-end performance perks, and low emissions accompanied by loads of torque within the lower portions of the RPM range. By allowing each cylinder’s valve opening to variably function independently from one another, Freevalves can flourish where a traditional camshaft starts to struggle.

Hell, at that point, you probably don’t even need a throttle anymore, just an air induction system and some sensors. Ditch the throttle and its butterfly for a far more wide-open air intake orifice, and what’s left? A free-flowing air intake side of an engine that does not hesitate or remain tethered to traditional torque restraints.

If No Freevalve Now, Then When?

So if Freevalve technology has the potential to work, and work well at that, what’s Koenigsegg waiting for?

Well, first of all, there’s the sheer cost of producing something so wildly revolutionary on a larger scale. A beta engine with a functioning Freevalve system is one thing. Putting it into production and reliably receiving comparable performance, emission, and efficiency results across the board in an affordable fashion is another.

Getting past all that noise, and concerns over the valves hitting the piston, and/or slamming into the valve seats becomes another serious consideration. Apparently, Koenigsegg has found a way around this by having its own bespoke pneumatic actuator units manufactured and tuned for this application. However, this complicates things even further, especially when considering that tuning each cylinder independently from the next must first be implemented.

This leads us to the greasy nuts and bolts of the matter, for many feel that for Freevalve technology to function, pneumatically operated valves are the only method to this madness. Meanwhile, others argue that hydraulic units with electromagnetically actuated valves for hydraulically locking the valve actuator in place with some form of mechanical damping is the direction to take.

Either way, we get the feeling that Koenigsegg has weighed pretty much every option imaginable, and is more than likely still searching for a feasible solution.

So while the forum monkeys hoot and hammer on their keyboards while throwing poo emojis at one another about which design works best, we here at EngineLabs agree that one thing is for certain: Freevalve technology will come to fruition someday. It’s just a matter of when, and what sort of vehicle it will grace first.

That said, let’s not hold our collective breaths, shall we? At this pace, Freevalve-equipped engines will likely come to market sometime around the turn of the next century, and will only be made available in a single vehicle. A European supercar that has a sticker price equivalent of Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson’s combined annual cannabis consumption costs. Come to think of it, maybe Koenigsegg is just blowing smoke after all…