Electric motor manufacturer Yasa has opened its upgraded £12 million manufacturing facility in Yarnton, near Oxford. The 60,000-square-foot plant increases the company’s production capacity to over 25,000 units annually and introduces advanced manufacturing technologies for axial-flux electric motors.
The facility consolidates all production processes under one roof, creating what the company describes as the UK’s first axial-flux electric motor super factory. New equipment includes four specially constructed coil and bar manufacturing cells with CNC coil winding, assembly and impregnation processes, as well as laser stripping and brazing, improved rotor balancing, high-capacity ovens, stator laser welding, and comprehensive quality control systems.
“With a multi-million-pound investment into our Yarnton facility, we have transformed our manufacturing capability and significantly accelerated our production capacity,” said Tim Woolmer, YASA’s CTO and founder. “Combined with YASA’s position as part of the Mercedes-Benz Group, the factory transformation consolidates YASA’s role as a global leader in developing high-performance, high-efficiency axial-flux e-motors.”
The company specializes in axial flux motor design for electric and hybrid vehicles, claiming performance up to four times greater than other electric motors currently available. Yasa counts Ferrari and Lamborghini among its OEM customers.
“We have transformed the manufacturing processes to enable an enhanced operating philosophy,” said Operations Director Richard Firmstone. “Manufacturing in motor sets to optimise flow, improving safety, quality, and efficiency. Enabling full process and material traceability, creating full flexibility to mitigate risk and deal with fluctuations in customer demand effectively.”
While the expansion was privately funded, Yasa continues its relationship with the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), which helped enable the development of the original Yarnton facility.
“This vastly improved facility is another important step in Yasa’s ongoing strategy to further expand its product and customer portfolio,” said CEO Joerg Miska, adding that it “Delivers increased flexibility, efficiency, and quality, positioning the company for diverse business opportunities.”
