Electric motors might not look like much, mostly metal casings and bundles of wire, but the right one can completely change how an EV feels, and Yasa’s latest breakthrough motor could reshape what’s possible in electric performance.
The UK-based company, owned by Mercedes-Benz and responsible for the motors set to power next-generation AMG models, has broken its own world record for power density, achieving a staggering 59 kW (79 hp) per kilogram.
For perspective, that’s a massive leap from the company’s previous benchmark of 42 kW (56 hp) per kilogram, which it set earlier this year.
Specific output figures are one thing, but the overall numbers are where things get wild. The new motor weighs just 12.7 kg (28 lb) yet delivers a short-term peak of 750 kW, equal to 1,006 hp (1,020 PS).
Even when sustained, output remains impressive, at around 350 to 400 kW (469 to 604 hp) all from a unit that weighs less than a carry-on bag.
Even better, this isn’t a digital mock-up. Yasa says the record-setting unit is a fully functioning prototype producing power on a real test bench. It’s built using scalable manufacturing processes and uses no rare or exotic materials, which means it could actually make it into production cars.
Founder and CTO Tim Woolmer described the milestone as “a major validation” of Yasa’s next-generation axial-flux motor architecture. Unlike traditional radial designs, axial-flux motors use thin, disc-shaped rotors that deliver higher torque and power relative to their mass.
“This isn’t a concept on a screen,” Woolmer said. “It’s running, right now, on the dynos.”
Mercedes-Benz acquired Yasa in 2021 and plans to integrate the Oxfordshire company’s axial-flux motor technology into its upcoming flagship AMG super-sedan and SUV models.