Yasa opens UK’s first axial-flux electric motor factory
Yasa has officially opened its fully upgraded electric motor manufacturing facility in Yarnton, near Oxford. The 60,000-square-foot site, which Yasa refers to as a “super factory,” is the country’s first axial-flux electric motor super-factory and will be able “to scale beyond 25,000 per year.” The company does not state the current output.
According to Yasa, the new facility represents a major step forward in the industrialisation of axial-flux technology, which delivers up to four times the power density of conventional radial-flux motors. With OEM clients including Ferrari and Lamborghini, Yasa wants to strengthen its role as a key supplier of compact, high-torque electric motors for the high-performance and luxury segments.
Designed from the ground up to support the demands of axial-flux production, the Yarnton facility includes four new coil and bar manufacturing cells, CNC coil winding and impregnation systems, advanced rotor balancing, stator laser welding, and full end-of-line quality control, including electrical and leak testing.
The redesign consolidates all production under one roof, creating a tightly integrated and highly automated workflow to reduce bottlenecks and boost flexibility in response to variable demand. The streamlined processes also improve component repeatability and product reliability.
“With a multi-million-pound investment into our Yarnton facility, we have transformed our manufacturing capability and significantly accelerated our production capacity,” said Tim Woolmer, Yasa’s CTO and founder. “This latest initiative will enable us to apply our technology with even greater accuracy, pace and scale.”
Woolmer noted the significance of the upgrade in light of YASA’s integration within the Mercedes-Benz Group: “The factory transformation consolidates Yasa’s role as a global leader in developing high-performance, high-efficiency axial-flux e-motors.”
According to Richard Firmstone, Operations Director, the new setup marks a fundamental shift in how Yasa manufactures motors. “We have transformed the manufacturing processes to enable an enhanced operating philosophy,” he said. “Manufacturing in motor sets to optimise flow, improving safety, quality and efficiency, while enabling full process and material traceability.”
Mercedes took over Yasa in 2021. The two companies have been working together to develop the axial-flux electric motor for Mercedes’ next-generation electric drive systems to series production readiness on a large scale. It also produces axial flux motors from Yasa at the Mercedes-Benz site in Berlin-Marienfelde, Germany.
Just as a reminder: An axial-flux motor generates torque via a magnetic field that flows parallel to the axis of rotation, using disc-shaped rotors and a central stator. Compared to radial-flux designs, it offers significantly higher power and torque density, improved thermal efficiency, and a more compact form factor, making it ideal for high-performance EV applications.
While this latest expansion has been privately funded, Yasa’s development has long been supported by the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). The company continues to collaborate with the APC on the future of axial-flux innovation, with a focus on keeping core electric mobility IP and capability in the UK.
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