OXFORD, England (AP) — A new electric motor prototype from YASA has shattered power density benchmarks with a short-term peak output of 750 kW while weighing only 12.7 kg. Tested on dynamometers at the company’s Oxford Innovation Centre, the unit achieved 59 kW/kg, up 40% from a 13.1 kg prototype’s 42 kW/kg rating recorded months ago in 2025.

YASA announced the results Oct. 15, 2025. Continuous power for the motor falls between 350 kW and 400 kW, according to company estimates. Those figures position it for real-world vehicle use, not just lab bursts. ‘The motor’s performance on the dyno has exceeded even our most optimistic simulations,’ said Simon Odling, YASA’s chief of new technology. Precision engineering, better thermal management and tight packaging drove the gains, without relying on rare materials.

The UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre backed the project. YASA’s axial flux motors flip the script on dominant radial flux designs. Magnetic flux runs parallel to the rotation axis, packing more torque into a slimmer profile. Challenges like complex manufacturing and cooling held them back until now.

YASA’s yokeless and segmented armature cuts stator iron by up to 80%. Shorter copper windings pair with direct oil cooling for superior heat handling. Radial motors often drop to half their peak under steady load from overheating, officials said. YASA’s hold closer to peak: a 200 kW axial flux unit sustains about 150 kW continuously.

Packaging shrinks too. These motors take half the space and weight of radial rivals. Vehicle engineers gain layout flexibility, lighter overall mass, smaller brakes and leaner batteries for the same range. Dr. Tim Woolmer, YASA founder and chief technology officer, called the 750 kW result ‘a major validation of our next-generation axial flux technology.’ He stressed it’s hardware spinning on test stands, using scalable processes.

YASA traces to 2009 as an Oxford University spin-out. Woolmer’s early axial flux research evolved into production-ready tech with soft magnetic composites and segmented poles. Mercedes-Benz Group bought the company in 2021, folding it into the AMG.EA electric platform. Ferrari and Lamborghini now tap the motors for hybrid setups, from concepts to limited runs and motorsport.

CEO Joerg Miska highlighted the edge: three times the power density of top radial motors. ‘Our technology is delivering measurable results today,’ he said. As electric drivetrains push into cars, performance models and trucks, such motors promise efficiency boosts, mass cuts and fresh architectures. YASA’s prototype shows core rethinking can deliver big leaps, rivaling battery and electronics progress.

The motor builds on a decade of iteration. Early tests beat simulations. Dyno data confirms the hardware’s punch. For high-performance autos, it opens doors to lighter, punchier powertrains.