Mercedes-Benz in Acquisition of Electric Motor Maker

Mercedes-Benz has announced the acquisition of YASA, a next-generation electric drive technology developer. Under the terms of the acquisition, YASA will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, developing ultra-high-performance e-motors, whilst retaining its own brand, team, facilities and continuing to supply existing automotive supercar customers.

Electric motors are a fast developing area of technology where innovation and expertise drive performance and differentiation. YASA will help to develop best-in-class electric drive innovations to give Mercedes-Benz “exceptional performance in a new electric era”.

Chris Harris, CEO, YASA said, “Working with Mercedes-Benz since 2019, it was always clear that we shared the same commitment to engineering excellence, innovation and reshaping mobility for the electric age. This acquisition is tremendously exciting because it gives YASA technology the global scale and reach of Mercedes-Benz.

“Together, we have the opportunity to make YASA the premier mark of excellence in electric motor technology, accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles and resetting the bar for electric driving experiences”.

Founded in 2009, YASA’s proprietary axial-flux electric motor is a step-change from the legacy radial electric motor technology. YASA’s patented e-motors deliver the greatest efficiencies and highest power densities in class for the smallest possible size and weight.

Since the company’s foundation, YASA has worked on the motor technology originally invented by the company’s founder and CTO Dr Tim Woolmer during his PhD. YASA now supplies world-leading OEMs in the automotive industry with powertrain solutions based around its axial-flux electric motors and controllers.

Following the acquisition, YASA and its 250 employees will continue to operate from its headquarters and production facility in Oxford, UK. YASA will provide electric motors for Mercedes-Benz’s AMG.EA electric-only platform, whilst also acting as an innovation partner pioneering new electric drive technology for the Group.

Philipp Schiemer, CEO of Mercedes-AMG and Head of the Top End Vehicle Group, said, “We warmly welcome YASA to Mercedes-Benz. NASA’s impressive axial-flux technology allows future fully electric Mercedes-AMG performance cars to stay a step ahead of the competition. Thanks to electric motors with higher power density and continuous torque delivery we will redefine the future of driving performance”.

YASA’s expertise and resources will be focused on delivering “world-beating” electric drive technologies for AMG-Mercedes’ electric-only platform.

You can find more information about Mercedes-Benz, YASA and the acquisition on the companies’ respective websites.

Stay up to date with the most recent automation, machine vision, and robotics news on MVPro. Read the best stories every Friday with our newsletter.