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Auto Express
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Lightweight British electric motors to power Mercedes-AMG's 1,000bhp super-saloon
Unique British electric motors that slash size and weight and produce more power than rival machines are the heart of Mercedes-AMG's new EV super-saloon – and Auto Express has the lowdown from their inventor. Oxford graduate Tim Woolmer founded Yasa in 2009 to commercialise the axial flux electric motor he designed for his PhD. Almost a decade later, he clinched a deal for Yasa to supply Ferrari's SF90 hybrid, and last week Auto Express toured the all-new £12million Oxfordshire factory also producing e-motors for Lamborghini and McLaren. In a great British success story, Yasa motors provide the electric punch for hybrid supercars the Ferrari 296 GTB, Lamborghini Revuelto and Temarario and McLaren Artura. The new factory is scaling up to produce 25,000 motors a year. Another major breakthrough comes this summer when Yasa starts powering its first pure electric production car, the AMG GT 4-Door – although its motors will be produced in Berlin following Mercedes' acquisition of Yasa in 2021. Advertisement - Article continues below 'The first cars we launch with Mercedes will be full EVs and we're really excited,' chief technology officer (CTO) Woolmer exclusively told Auto Express. 'I've been driven in one – it's going to be fantastic.' Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The AMG axial flux motors will be similar in design to the ones that power hybrid Lamborghini front axles. Woolmer's big breakthrough was to shrink the motor's stator (the stationary part generating a magnetic field around which the rotors spin), by repackaging a radial motor's long, cylindrical copper windings into 18 stubby windings roughly the shape and size of orange segments. They're arranged in a thin disc shape which gives a broad surface area for magnetic interaction and the space to fit a rotor on both sides of the stator, adding up to a dramatic boost in torque. 'When we did the [initial] maths on the new design, it showed it would give you about three times the torque density and therefore power density, and its unique proposition is being one-third the size and weight of any other motor technology on the planet,' said the CTO. Each AMG motor can generate around 480bhp and 800Nm of torque – but it's only 65mm long and weighs just 24kg. As with key rival the Porsche Taycan, Mercedes will be able to mix and match the motors to offer rear- and all-wheel drive, with a likely maximum of three motors packing well in excess of 1,000bhp. Whereas the hybrid motors are limited by their adjoining engine's speed, the AMG motors will be able to spin faster. 'They've been scaled up to match the higher torque, power and speed required in an EV compared to a hybrid, and obviously higher voltage as well,' said Woolmer. Yasa motors' breakthrough design will also endow the AMG with a weight advantage, boosting range and agility. And future generations will go further, with reduced mass and an exponential improvement in harnessing regenerative braking energy to unlock smaller batteries yet longer-running high-performance EVs. 'I think we've reached peak battery size,' said the CTO. '[Ultimately if] we can take hundreds of kilograms out of the mass of these vehicles, that starts to transform their behaviour. We're really battling to get the weight of electric vehicles down: they're fundamentally too heavy today.' Click here for our list of the fastest electric cars in the world ... Find a car with the experts EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs Running costs for car share club EVs are £6k higher than ICE equivalents according to new data Bargain prices drive used car sales boom, but new cars struggle to sell Bargain prices drive used car sales boom, but new cars struggle to sell Demand for pre-owned cars beats pre-pandemic levels as buyers seek out bargains BYD beats Dacia, Honda and Citroen: Chinese EV giant already outsells 'big' UK brands BYD beats Dacia, Honda and Citroen: Chinese EV giant already outsells 'big' UK brands EV sales were up slightly last month year-on-year, but overall car sales were down as buyers tried to dodge increased road tax
NZ Autocar
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Mercedes-AMG's first standalone electric car is a 1000hp supersaloon
Mercedes-AMG's Taycan rival is nearing production, the firm issuing a teaser image of its electric supersaloon before a formal reveal in a few weeks' time. This is the Vision AMG concept, upon which the supersaloon's styling is based. It will be AMG's first standalone electric car. Blending huge power with grand touring luxury, it will take aim at Porsche Taycan Turbo S, E-Tron GT RS Performance and Lucid Air. The rakish four-door will not rely on AMG EQ underpinnings. Instead it will utilise AMG's bespoke platform, designed for electric performance. Power comes from Yasa's axial-flux motors that are said to be compact, lightweight and potent. A twin-motor set-up should generate 1000bhp (746kW) and 1357Nm so it could be AMG's most powerful road car ever. Earlier reports suggested a sprint time of around 2.2sec to match that of the top Taycan. Styling is based on that of 2022's Vision 2025 concept. Spy shots indicate a rakish design with a long bonnet, low-set stance, and aggressive aero features. A Kamm tail (abrupt cut-off) is a new Mercedes-AMG feature. Generous overhangs should combine to create an elegant and sophisticated silhouette. A retractable spoiler and flush door handles are likely. Six-ring tail-lights, 21-inch wheels, race-inspired diffusers, and a split rear window are likely to make it to production. AMG says it will be as quick in corners as it is in a straight line, offering what they describe as genuine engagement. Expect rear wheel steering and active roll control, if not a fully active system like Porsche uses. With twin rear-mounted motors like in the One-Eleven concept, it should have decent luggage space and comfortable rear seating, just like AMG GT 4-Door buyers expect. The move to pure EV comes as the V8-powered GT 4-Door eases its way out of existence. However, AMG says this new model won't just replace it. They suggest it will redefine AMG performance for the electric era. A full reveal is locked in for June, with a production version expected to follow soon thereafter and likely before year's end. This has the promise of being the boldest statement yet from the Mercedes performance arm. A related high-performance electric SUV, also previewed by the Vision 2025, will likely follow next year, further cementing AMG's electric future. AMG isn't just aiming to rival the Taycan and Lucid Air. It wants to lead the way in this rarified sector.
