Latest news with #YASA
Forbes
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
YASA: UK Company Leading The Electrified Performance Car Revolution
The Ferrari SF90 Stradale takes advantage of YASA's electric motor technology. Electric cars predate those running on fossil fuel, but development was mostly dormant for a century after the combustion car took over in the early 1900s. The EV as we currently know it has only been around for a little over a decade. There's a lot of technological development taking place now, however. While most of the attention has been on batteries, motor innovation is extremely important too. One of the leading companies driving new motor technology is the UK's YASA, purchased by Mercedes in 2021. I talked to Tim Woolmer, Founder and CEO of YASA, about what makes his company special. YASA Technology: Available In An Electrified Supercar Near You The YASA name may not be familiar, but its electric motors are the secret sauce behind hybrid supercars including the Ferrari SF90 Stradale and 296 GTB, Lamborghini Revuelto and Temerario, McLaren Artura, and Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E-Performance. The latter is particularly relevant because of YASA's ownership change. This will also be the brand of the first all-electric car to use YASA motors. 'AMG has spoken about its new architecture, and the first car launched will be high performance electric vehicle,' says Woolmer. 'It's going to be a lot of fun, but it will be a different clientele than a mid-engine supercar.' YASA's focus will remain high-performance cars, but the company always had wider goals. 'Our core mission is to accelerate electrification. Our customers today have a good fit with the USPs of the product. They appreciate the size, light weight, repeatable performance, and efficiency.' The Lamborghini Revuelto is another electrified supercar using YASA's motors. Originally, the YASA motor was extremely low volume, used in halo hypercars such as the Jaguar C-X75, Koenigsegg Regera and a land speed record car produced by Lola-Drayson. Now YASA is increasing its production capacity considerably. In 2024, the company produced 14,000 motors, and with a new facility in Bicester Motion, this will increase to 25,000 motors annually for 2025-27. As part of the Mercedes relationship, its motors will also be produced in Berlin by Mercedes-AMG itself. 'We're going down this journey of commoditizing the product, going to high volumes, and reducing costs,' says Woomer. 'I'm absolutely convinced that the technology has got a perfect USP in the sports car industry. But as we move to new architectures, it could be commoditized to wider volume appeal. Lightweight is great for everything.' YASA Motors Mean The Yoke's On You The clue to YASA innovation is in its name, which stands for Yokeless And Segmented Armature. The motors use a different design to conventional radial flux systems, which almost all other electric motors employ. They don't have an iron core (or yoke), while the rotating part of the motor is segmented. This is an axial flux system, with permanent magnet rotors on either side of the electromagnetic stator. The result is around three times the torque density per kg compared to a radial flux motor, and a considerable reduction in raw material usage. Where a Tesla motor might have around 30kg of iron, a YASA motor only requires 3kg for the same power and torque. It's also a quarter of the size with a third of the copper. While this is useful for any electrified vehicle, weight saving alongside high power are particularly beneficial for performance vehicles. YASA's Axial Flux design is much lighter and more compact than a traditional Radial Flux motor. 'There are no downsides to it,' says Woolmer. 'You can take 200 kilograms directly out of a vehicle. Then you could start to see electric vehicles on par or even becoming lighter than their internal combustion engine equivalents. That's a real problem we must deal with, because EVs have a weight problem. They're up to 400kg heavier than a regular car.' YASA can produce motors from 100hp to 1,000hp, depending on the application. Most of its projects so far have been tailored to a specific customer's needs, rather than vice versa. However, this flexibility means YASA is ready to produce motors for all-electric cars. 'The first pure EVs going to production will be with AMG,' says Woolmer. 'The hybrids have been a wonderful preparation for that, because the motor is very similar.' The YASA motor used by Ferrari. The British Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) has been a key factor in YASA's growth. This is a joint UK government and industry-funded organization supporting the development of low-carbon propulsion technologies for the automotive industry to accelerate the transition to Net Zero. 'I don't think I would be exaggerating if I said I genuinely don't think this factory would exist without the APC,' says Woolmer. However, the Mercedes-Benz acquisition has enabled YASA to take its technology to a different level commercially. 'YASA was never looking to be acquired,' says Woolmer. 'But Mercedes put forward a compelling case for the purchase. They wanted us to be the speed boat; they didn't want to destroy our culture. They wanted us to keep our innovation and our brand. In return, they've got the industrial might to invest in the technology, which they've done both here and in and in the factory in Berlin. Four years later, they were true to all those statements. They've invested a lot in the assets, giving us a big new facility at Bicester Motion. That was a £70 million investment, plus a big investment in the technology to scale it up. They have been the perfect scaling partner.' YASA's UK Tech Triumph Despite the factory in Berlin, YASA will still be a UK-based company. 'We will remain fully British with our headquarters in Bicester Motion,' says Woolmer. 'All the R&D on the technology is happening here in the UK. Mercedes has manufacturing satellites all around the world, but manufacturing is not where the core Intellectual Property resides. The aspiration is to increase manufacturing the UK, not just do R&D here.' YASA will continue to develop its technology and build motors in the UK. The UK will also continue to manufacture for customers other than Mercedes, where Berlin will solely serve AMG. But now YASA has much more scale available. 'Ten years ago, we struggled to make 150 motors,' says Woolmer. 'Now, if we got a contract for 50,000 motors, we would know what to do.' YASA isn't sitting on its laurels and is already looking towards the next development. 'The game changer will be in-wheel motor technology,' says Woolmer. 'Renault launched the 5 Turbo 3E that will be the first production vehicle with in-wheel motors, although it's a limited series.' Donut Lab is another company chasing this possibility. 'We're not focused on it yet, but in the future, we will talk about it a lot more. We've got technology that can radically transform the way we design vehicles, and that really is empowered by the size and the weight of the motors. People have been trying to crack in-wheel motors for 25 years, and it's hard, but based off all the learning we've had so far, we think we've got the tech to do it.'
Auto Blog
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
This Is What Mercedes Thinks An Electric AMG Should Sound Like
The First Audio Of AMG's EV Mercedes, like other German manufacturers, can sometimes fall victim to a sort of tunnel vision, creating numerous cars that serve the same purpose. But over the last few years, it's been refining its range, and as part of that, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door will soon be culled to make way for an all-electric super sedan. That upcoming super sedan will be a standalone AMG product, and according to a new teaser clip shared by the automaker on Instagram, it will sound not dissimilar to existing AMGs. Indeed, the audio below seems to take plenty of inspiration from cars with internal combustion engines, but its sonic signature is not the only place we can draw parallels with the current Mercedes offering. Will Have Two Offerings Oops! We're unable to load this content right now. View directly on Instagram The new electric architecture will underpin two vehicles – the sedan you see here and, of course, an SUV. These underpinnings are expected to feature next-generation axial flux motors from subsidiary YASA Motors, a technology that BMW is also exploring. As for output, we expect close to a thousand horsepower in the car (if not more, depending on how many motors the EV gets). The current AMG GT 63 S E Performance range-topper only offers 831 hp, but as a hybrid and not an all-electric vehicle, it doesn't need more because it doesn't have loads of weight to lug around. That being said, this new EV will have smaller and lighter batteries than the current crop of Mercedes EQ models. Drawing From The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N When the Ioniq 5 N arrived, many doubted whether Hyundai's all-electric performance crossover could be genuinely engaging to drive, but in the years since, numerous evangelists of combustion have conceded that a simulated engine sound and a system that closely mimics a traditional gearbox's responses can convert the non-believers. However, as the comments section of the post shows, many more refuse to even entertain the idea that an EV could be fun, so Mercedes will have to work twice as hard to prove that this is still an AMG at heart, even if it looks half as sleek as the Vision EQXX concept it draws inspiration from. Its first target will be the astonishingly good Porsche Taycan, and with such a high bar, we expect all the high-tech tricks in the book: active battery management, a highly advanced traction control system, and some adaptive aerodynamic elements. We'll know more before the end of the month, as AMG has previously confirmed a reveal for June. Oops! We're unable to load this content right now. View directly on Instagram About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
The Oxfordshire company making 'cutting edge' EV supercar tech
As the world continues to swap its petrol and diesel-powered cars for those that rely on electricity, an Oxfordshire company is leading the way in developing a "cutting edge" component that is crucial to all electric vehicles (EVs).YASA was formed in 2009 as a spin out of the University of Oxford, and currently supplies its motors to high-end sports an industry expert has told the BBC that the "high-performance" motors produced by YASA will "trickle down to your everyday car".The motor is one of two key components in EVs, and uses the energy stored by the battery to drive the vehicle's wheels. YASA, which was purchased by the Mercedes-Benz Group in 2021, currently supplies its axial flux motors to companies including Ferrari and Lamborghini. Axial flux technology offers better performance than alternatives, but had previously been considered commercially unviable to by arranging the the magnetic components into "pole-pieces", the Oxfordshire-based company has simplified the process to produce the motors."If you drive a hybrid or an electric car today there's almost a 100% probability that it will be a traditional radio flux machine," the company's founder and chief technology officer, Tim Woolmer explained. "YASA's technology is a completely different type of electric motor."He said the company's motor was "about a third the size and a third the weight" compared to the "best in class competing technology". Commercial director Andy North said the company was "really on the cutting edge of performance, and that's driving efficiency in the electrification of vehicles".He said the "lessons" that the company was learning would "ultimately feed into conventional cars which people will see on the roads"."Whilst really being used in the niche sports car sector today, over time we will see that filter through to Mercedes-AMG vehicles, and then into the automotive sector more broadly," Mr Woolmer added. Andy Palmer, who has been referred to as the Godfather of EVs for his work during his time as chief operating officer at Toyota, told the BBC that "trickle down has always been the way of the industry"."Generally new technology is expensive because it's low volume, but it tends to start therefore on the high-end cars and the sports cars," he said."The starting point is the technology that YASA is bringing to market - start there and will trickle down into your everyday car." YASA recently opened a new £12m factory in Yarnton, Oxfordshire, to produce its axial flux motors - which the it said provided an "unmatched electric driving experience".The company said the new factory would enable it to scale production "beyond 25,000 units" each Palmer, who is also a former CEO of Aston Martin, said it was "great news" for Oxfordshire."This is exactly the reason why the UK needs to be on the front foot when it comes to adopting EV technology and getting investment behind it," he company is also in the process of relocating to a 88,000 sq ft (8,220 sq m) headquarters near Bicester, which it expects to move into within the next 15 months. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Top Gear
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
This British company's about to give lighter, more powerful e-motor tech a huge boost
Tech YASA - used by Ferrari, AMG and Lambo - is looking to upscale. Could this be the start of something big for hybrids and EVs? Skip 6 photos in the image carousel and continue reading 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. Advertisement - Page continues below Axial-flux motors use the same basic permanent magnet layout as radial-flux to create magnetic fields between the rotor and stator, but where YASA's product is different is that it uses a rotor on either side of the stator. It means the magnetic lines which flow through the stator - known as the 'flux' - only head in one direction, negating the need for a stator yoke. Edge-wound coils are then placed inside, and cooling fluid fills the surrounding areas. The result of this packaging is clear: the YASA motor is 25kg lighter, 45 per cent smaller and up to four times more power-dense than most radial-flux motors. The other advantage is that it allows manufacturers greater flexibility with design. Axial motors can be placed between the transmission and engine, or wedged between a small crevice on the rear axle. You might like Take the SF90; when Ferrari's lab coats crowded round a desk and decided it'd be a hybrid, they wanted to make sure they found a motor that wouldn't lift the crank height. 'Ferrari had a strict axial length, and meant the e-motor had to fit within a certain - and very small - diameter,' Woolmer told Top Gear. 'The LaFerrari's battery and motors weigh almost 150kg, and most of this weight is sprung on the back of the vehicle. Ferrari hated this because it's the absolute worst place to add mass to a high-performance car. So it wanted to do things differently with the SF90, the 296 and whatever else follows.' Advertisement - Page continues below Woolmer also reckons his invention will allow for greater mechanical differentiation between hybrid and electric performance cars, since the motor positioning isn't as concrete as it is with radial solutions. 'For instance, the Temerario's motors are permanently attached to the engine, so it can't be clutched out, whereas the 296's is sandwiched independently just behind the engine, so there's space for a proper clutch in there. "Lamborghini's set-up has the advantages of torque vectoring, while Ferrari's has the familiarity of rear-drive only. There's pros and cons to both layouts, but the core DNA is similar. They've just been packaged differently to suit the respective manufacturer's needs and targets.' In terms of future development, he added: 'Our biggest defence - and I think all companies are the same to an extent - is speed and innovation. Every year, for the last 15 years, we've improved our product by 25 per cent. We've also developed new manufacturing techniques, so as long as we maintain our core DNA, we'll be fine. 'But the risk is that, if you get some sort of huge monopoly and start relaxing, before you know it, you'll be disrupted. I don't want us to become complacent, so we have to keep disrupting our own technology. I hope that in 10 years we look back at what we're currently doing and say, 'Oh, that was a load of rubbish.'' Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
Hindustan Times
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Mercedes-AMG working on a new electric sedan, will replace GT 4-Door Coupe
Mercedes-AMG is working on a new electric sedan, which will come as a replacement for the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Mercedes-AMG is working on a new electric sedan, which will replace the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Check Offers Mercedes-AMG, the performance division of the German luxury car manufacturer, is working on a new super electric sedan, which is expected to debut sometime next month, and has been revealed through a set of teaser images. Upon arrival, it will replace the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. While the OEM previously released a shadowy teaser image previewing the upcoming car's silhouette, the new set of images provides a clearer look at the unnamed car. The teaser image hints that the Mercedes-AMG will ditch the GT's liftback design for a traditional trunk. Also, it gets a clear body line separating the rear windscreen and the camouflaged rear spoiler can be figured out as well. There will be flush fitting door handles, large multi-spoke wheels and a coupe-like roof as well. The teaser images indicate that the upcoming sedan will be a long and large car. It is not clear if the rear taillights are real units or just decoys to hide the design, but the LED daytime running lights look like production-ready. Also Read : Upcoming cars in India The upcoming Mercedes-AMG car will come riding on the brand's architecture, which is supposed to result in fun-to-drive electric cars. This platform will underpin an SUV, which will use YASA's axial-flux motors that are lightweight electric motors that can churn out up to 473 bhp peak power and 800 Nm of maximum torque. The upcoming Mercedes-AMG model could come weighing a bit, which could affect how it handles. The AMG 4-Door GT plug-in hybrid with the V8 weighs more than a 2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The new car will have two electric motors, giving the sedan close to 986 bhp and 1,355 Nm of maximum torque. However, it's not clear if Mercedes-AMG will put these motors one on each axle, giving the car an all-wheel drive setup, or attach both to the rear for maximum chaos Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India. First Published Date: 11 May 2025, 08:40 AM IST
