In a quiet corner of Britain, a small team of engineers at YASA—a company now owned by Mercedes-Benz—has built something that sounds almost impossible: an electric motor weighing just 12.7 kilograms that produces 1,020 horsepower (750 kW). To put that in perspective, that’s less than the weight of a small dog—or a crate of beer—but capable of producing enough power to launch a supercar past the horizon.
It’s not just another lab fantasy either. YASA, best known for its advanced axial-flux electric motors that already power cars like the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, has the prototype running on a test bench right now. And it’s rewriting what we thought possible for electric performance.
At 59 kilowatts per kilogram, YASA’s new motor officially takes the crown for the world’s most power-dense electric motor. That’s nearly five times more power per kilo than some of today’s best EV motors. CEO and founder Tim Woolmer calls it a symbol of what’s possible when innovation meets obsession. “This isn’t a concept or a sketch—it’s running in our lab,” he says proudly.
The breakthrough comes down to the axial-flux design—a flat, disc-shaped motor that looks nothing like the traditional cylindrical setups found in most vehicles. In this design, the rotor and stator sit face-to-face, which makes the unit much thinner, easier to cool, and lighter overall.
That architectural difference is YASA’s secret weapon. It allows the motor to deliver intense power from a frame so compact you could nearly hold it in both hands. Even better, the company says this new motor isn’t built with exotic or impractical materials. It’s designed for scalability, meaning it could move from the lab to production relatively smoothly.
Which brings us to Mercedes-AMG.
Mercedes acquired YASA in 2021, and now the partnership’s purpose is crystal clear. AMG’s all-electric future—destined to compete with the likes of the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and Tesla’s top Plaid editions—will likely debut YASA’s next-generation powerhouse under its sleek bodywork.
Imagine this: a four-door electric AMG that weighs less than some supercars, yet crushes the 1,000-horsepower mark thanks to motors you could almost carry home by hand.
Sure, this sounds like every car enthusiast’s dream, but the implications go beyond raw acceleration. Lighter, more compact motors mean designers can redistribute weight, add more battery capacity, or simply make cars more efficient. It’s a rethinking of what performance means in the electric age—a world where being powerful doesn’t have to mean being heavy.
YASA’s achievement suggests a thrilling future: one where electric cars are faster, smarter, and leaner than ever before.
So yes, the electric era still has horsepower—it just happens to fit in a much smaller box.