It’s taken a while to properly industrialise axial-flux motors in the automotive space, mostly because of the complexities and costs involved. But over the last few years, supercars like the McLaren Artura, Ferrari 296 and Lamborghini Temerario have all adopted the technology from one supplier: YASA, which is now a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz.
The British firm is now aiming to produce around 25,000 axial-flux motors next year, up from just 1,000 units five years ago, operating out of its shiny new 60,000-square-foot super factory in Yanton, near Oxford. The product itself is clever, the work of Oxford University grad Tim Woolmer, who started the idea for YASA – ‘Yokeless and Segmented Armature’ – almost 15 years ago as a mid-semester project.
