YASA is marking five years of Mercedes-Benz ownership, celebrating a period of rapid progress that has helped place its world-leading axial flux electric motor technology at the heart of the next generation of Mercedes-AMG electric performance.
Since becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz in July 2021, YASA has accelerated the design, development and advancement of its pioneering axial flux technology and expanded its UK engineering and manufacturing footprint.
Originally spun out from the University of Oxford in the UK, YASA’s renowned engineering team, led by founder and CTO Dr Tim Woolmer, has spent more than 15 years rethinking the fundamental architecture of the electric motor. The company’s proprietary yokeless and segmented armature design enables exceptional power and torque density from a significantly smaller and lighter package than conventional radial flux motors, creating new possibilities for vehicle packaging, performance, efficiency and sustained power delivery.
Under Mercedes-Benz ownership, YASA’s axial flux technology has entered a new phase. Over the last five years, the company has continued to advance its innovation base in Oxfordshire while working closely with Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG and wider group engineering teams.
Joerg Miska, CEO, YASA, said: “The last five years have been transformational for YASA. As part of Mercedes-Benz, we have been able to accelerate our technology roadmap, invest in our UK facilities and bring our axial flux motors closer to the next generation of high-performance electric vehicles. We have retained the spirit, agility and engineering curiosity that have always defined YASA, while gaining the scale, support and long-term industrial strength of Mercedes-Benz. That combination is incredibly powerful.”
Major UK investment
In the UK, YASA has also made major investments in its own engineering and manufacturing capability. In May 2025, the company officially opened its fully upgraded manufacturing facility in Yarnton, near Oxford. Backed by a £12 million investment, the high-tech facility has been designed to support higher levels of precision, repeatability, quality and production scale, enabling YASA to increase capacity beyond 25,000 units per year.
The 60,000 sq ft base brings all production processes under one roof and incorporates advanced manufacturing technologies designed specifically for YASA’s high-tech axial flux motors, including new coil and bar manufacturing cells, CNC coil winding, assembly and impregnation processes, laser stripping and brazing, increased rotor balancing accuracy, stator laser welding and complete stator quality control.
YASA has also continued to expand its long-term UK footprint. Construction will soon be completed on its brand-new headquarters at Bicester Motion, creating a bespoke state-of-the-art 90,000 sq ft facility designed to provide a permanent Oxfordshire home for YASA’s innovation, engineering, prototyping, development, operations and business support teams.
The past 12 months have also seen YASA push the boundaries of electric motor power density. In 2025, the company achieved 550 kW from a 13.1 kg axial flux prototype motor, equivalent to 42 kW/kg, before going further with a lighter 12.7 kg version producing 750 kW short-term peak output and achieving an unofficial power density benchmark of 59 kW/kg. The fully functional prototype, developed at YASA’s Oxford Innovation Centre, represents a further validation of the company’s next-generation axial flux technology and its potential for future high-performance automotive applications.
Dr Tim Woolmer, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, YASA, said: “YASA was founded on a simple but ambitious idea: that there was a better way to build an electric motor. Five years into Mercedes-Benz ownership, that idea has moved into a completely new phase. We are no longer only proving what axial flux technology can do; we are helping to industrialise it for some of the most demanding electric performance applications in the world. That is a major milestone for the whole YASA team.”
Mercedes-AMG milestones
Earlier this year, this progress reached a major milestone with the unveiling of the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, the first series-production Mercedes-AMG model to feature YASA axial flux electric motor technology. Developed around the Mercedes-AMG High Performance Electric Architecture, the new AMG GT 4-Door Coupe uses three compact YASA axial flux motors, one at the front axle and two at the rear, helping to deliver exceptional power output, repeatable high-performance capability and greater drivetrain packaging flexibility.
Production of the axial flux motors commenced earlier this year at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Berlin-Marienfelde, Germany, establishing the site as a key centre for high-performance electric motor technology within the Mercedes-Benz powertrain network. Founded in 1902, Berlin-Marienfelde is Mercedes-Benz’s oldest producing site, with more than 120 years of manufacturing history, and has also been home to the Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus since 2022.
The advanced production process brings together next-generation manufacturing techniques developed to support the precision, repeatability and performance demands of Mercedes-AMG. Across around 30,000 square metres of production space, three halls and seven production lines, Mercedes-Benz combines highly automated manufacturing processes with laser technology, intelligent control systems, AI-based quality control and the expertise of highly skilled employees.
The process includes around 98 individual manufacturing steps, incorporating 65 processes new to Mercedes-Benz and 35 world-firsts, and has resulted in more than 30 patent applications.
The AMG GT 4-Door Coupe production car follows the CONCEPT AMG GT XX, a pioneering technology programme that previewed the performance potential of YASA axial flux technology. The axial flux technology’s endurance credentials were further highlighted through the CONCEPT AMG GT XX’s long-distance record run at Nardò in Italy, where the vehicle completed the equivalent of driving around the world in less than eight days and broke 25 long-distance records.
Alongside its work with Mercedes-Benz, YASA has also continued to grow its business with other premium automotive OEMs and intends to further expand its market presence through new products, increased volumes and additional customer programmes. From its UK sites, the company will continue to design, develop and manufacture world-renowned axial flux motors and power electronics for hybrid and battery-electric vehicle applications, while further supporting Mercedes-Benz’s wider electrification ambitions and exploring opportunities in adjacent sectors, including power generation.
