The YASA Story - Axial Flux Motors: The Future Of Electric Vehicle Propulsion

The YASA Axial Flux Motor is an ultra high performance electric vehicle motor, capable of taking you further & faster, due to it's unmatched weight, size and power density, compared to current electric cars on the road.
And it is a reality today.

This is the YASA Story.
It started in 2005, when YASA CTO & Founder, Tim Woolmer, during his PHD, began investigating the electric motor and it's suitability for the electric vehicle industry.
This led him down the Axial Flux Motor route, as these has known benefits with regard to torque density.
Axial Flux motors were identified as potential EV motor topologies in the 1800's, but despite the potential for weight reduction, it was the difficulty in manufacturing that limited its commercial viability.
Despite the challenges, Tim began researching the Axial Flux Motor in combination with new materials, in the hope of finding a solution.

When compared with a radial flux motor, which is about 400 newton metres, weighing 50kg with 25-30 kg of iron, the Axial Flux Motor is similar in diameter, but about 1/6 of the length, about 4 x the torque density.
That gives opportunities to package motors in new places in vehicles, and reduce weight, mass & therefore cost.

The YASA Axial topology and the removal of 60-80% of the stators mass removing the heavy iron yoke, and as many other metals as possible, enables up to 480 bhp, from a 24kg motor, which occupies much less space than a radial equivalent.

One of the breakthroughs in Tims PHD was the new topology called the YASA Machine (Yokeless And Segmented Armature).

As this topology was investigated, it was discovered that it had significant advantages in weight, size & mass. These savings gave the YASA motor a unique benefit, with improved efficiencies.
Less weight = less material = less energy therefore less Co2 emissions in both driving and manufacturing.

The YASA Axial Flux technology has come a long way since the journey started in 2005. We are looking to make electric cars as light and as sustainable as possible, by reducing their mass, reducing their materials and maximising their efficiency
We've seen huge change in the last 10 years and we're going to see even more change in the vehicles we drive.
Our relationship with Mercedes Benz is a powerful one, because it enables YASA to evolve & develop our products, whilst also working with Mercedes to scale up the production
The YASA Axial Flux motor will create totally new possibilities for car designers; possibilities that we are now developing with Mercedes-Benz AMG and that will change automotive development forever.
This is the story of the ultra high performance YASA Axial Flux motor and we're only just getting started!

Follow us on social:

#yasa #yasaaxialfluxmotor #axialflux #mercedes #mercedesbenz #mercedesamg #electricfuture #electricvehicles #electriccars #electricmotors

[juliomartinez]

I allow myself to warmly greet,

For over more than ten years I've been developing a model of an “Axial Flux Coaxial Magnetic Generator Motor”, which I consider has especial features:
Summarizing its main strengths:
1. Doesn't have, neither needs the stator.
2. The coaxial system provides two (02) angular moments, to the kinetic energy.
3. Merges the “power” of the moment reactive torsion (-Mt), with the original force that produces it.
4. Neutralize the (-Mt) moment reactive torsion.
5. Replace part of the electrical energy it consumes.
6. The transmission system is included.
7. Doesn't occupy useful space.
8. Doesn't represent extra weight for the damping system.
9. Develop a high torque in a low energy consumption (DC).
10. Assist the vehicle stability.
11. Can work in rough conditions, even underwater.
12. Its dimensions are directly proportional to its power, without consuming high currents at the moment of breaking the inertia.

If any interest exists over the product with the characteristics mentioned, I manifest my total will to share the Theoretical Framework, as one of my main objectives is to develop a prototype of this product and use all my efforts into a good end.

[TreDeuce-qwkv]

In the mid-50s my dad(a Biophysicist) said that Electric cars are our future and necessary to our future. We built and electric gokart using a starter motor from a Packard V12. He would have been 100 years old this year and would have loved to see where we are now headed, though, likely, would have complained that it has taken too long.

[Siddharth_shivshankar]

Tim Woolfer's research has probably led to a wonderful opportunities, he has waited in patience whilst constantly fixing concerning issues antd constanly working hard on improvising his topology is quite admirable. His patience is just amazing. Recently i have seen Christopher Koinseg building a quite similar motor topology but he says its a raxial flux motor. Which is very similar to YASA. But Yasa is the future of EVs. A big applause to TIM and Yasa's association with AMG is not such an easy achievement

[mattmatolcsi]

Very cool, not many PhD dissertations ever make it out of the lab, much less into mass production.

[tgdomnemo]

... let's keep our fingers crossed MB will make it far enough into the future . . . to have a future !
🖖🏻 from 🇩🇪

[pathfinder.george]

Amazing technology! Any plans to open them to the public as an off the shelf product? Democratising the EV revolution?

[HelpUsSaveLives]

As a doc producer, this is very well done. Hard to tell if Mercedes is the title sponsor, it appears so, but nothing wrong with that. Great video.

[SuperYellowsubmarin]

Kudos for hanging on all this time. It must have been a tough one finding investors 20 years ago while the market was inexistant.

[peteregan]

If we look at vehicles with a maximum acceleration of 5m/s.s and 3.5m/s.s (fast and normal ICE vehicle acceleration), and assume torque vectoring on all four wheels, we could have two drive units, each with two small axial flux motors. Each motor would be packaged with a planetary gear system and an inboard brake and half shaft all axially aligned. The casing could include rack and pinion steering for both front and rear units - can use identical units front and rear. Each front/rear unit would need inverters for each motor, the oil pump motor, steering motor. There would be an oil/coolant heat exchanger. The inputs to the drive unit would be communication from vehicle controls (all human controls entered via an aircraft style side-stick (steering, brake acceleration), low and high voltage power so the drive unit will stay awake if DC power cut and coolant. The outputs are data to the vehicle controller/sidestick, two half shafts and two steering arms. In going to a 'giga-casting' the casting is not strong enough to resist fatigue loading from a MacPherson strut. The suspension should be double wishbones and horizontal suspension like F1 and other high performance vehicles. This means the giga-casting only face accident loading such as Short Overlap Test at their extremities. The wheels could be flush to the tyre on the inside and have fully enclosed wheel covers on the outer. Suspension components can be shaped for lowest drag life F1. The underfloor can be shaped for best aerodynamics.

[garycross]

Neat story. Please remove the distracting unnecessary music.

[brois]

To be clear, they said "working with Mercedes, " however Mercedes acquired YASA motors over a year ago. I doubt they acquired them to sell the motors to competitors. No, they probably see it as a competitive advantage that they'd like to keep to themselves. Wonder what the real world impact is - the EQS 580 4MATIC that Munro & Associates looked at, seemed like it had a standard radial motor.

[Cooliemasteroz]

I really like the shortened length without an increase in diameter because of the new ways that the motor/s can be positioned.

[Avicenna_]

On the surface, there is nothing new except for manufacturing processes and cooling system. And he did mentioned about controlling the air gap, which isnt new. One small company in Ashburn, VA did that long time ago and were well known with their solar car motor. Perhaps as he said, the real invention is in creating the machines and supply chain.

[phatmeow]

hi by design does the motor allow the use of negligible or zero rare earth metals then? also are the KW/Torque numbers advertised peak or continous?

[mycents]

I would like to see these in the E-Mtn. bikes.

[Tore_Lund]

I drive a 2002 EV a Fiat elettra. Still going strong on its 3'rd set of batteries. I had my first EV in 1991. They have been around forever if you wanted to buy them, you could in Europe. Axial flux motors are the future. Torque curve better suited to the demands in traction applications and not the least the higher efficiency over a wider load range. Run of the mill induction motors like they are still used the majority of EVs globally, drop dramatically off in efficiency at lower loads, i.e. city driving. Another thing: In the 90' EVs were optimized for efficiency. they were not simply standard pressed steel gasoline vehicles with batteries. That was needed because the chemistry was lead-acid or maybe Ni-Cd if you was rich, So everything was about weight reduction and driveline efficiency. If that virtue is coming back. we could make 1000 km range EVs today with Li-ion batteries if we custom built EVs and not as now, are just retrofitting gasoline cars. An EV1 today with the same mass of Li-ion batteries it had Lead acid batteries, would have a range of more than 800km.

[lanzer]

Been excited for Axial motors for a long time, though it's still something illusive and just "one step from mass production". Hopefully we'll actually see it on the road in the near future.
A Model 3's curb weight is 1800kg, so if you replace the dual motor you would be looking at a 5% increase in range. Pretty impressive.

[oplkfdhgk]

seems like this would be great for hub motors because of the weight and shape :)

[namenotshown]

CSIRO autralia designed an axial flux motor with efficiency of 98%, using litz wire and halbach array for magnets also helped a bit, some car fan motors have been using axial flux motors for a very long time.
Windings look standard axial flux type, previously they were set in resin for lightweight.
Not sure what is so new ?

[cfuture]

i cant help but think how useful this will be in electric motorcycles. this small motor is 400 hp and we tbh only need half of what it can deliver to make a really really fast bike. cant believe m saying this bt m excited