The 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 cars.

But 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 manufacture.

But 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 radial 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 year.

Mr 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 added.

The 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.

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