Yasa Unveils 12.7-Kilogram Motor Producing Over 1,000 Horsepower
In the world of engineering, where every gram and watt matters, British company Yasa Limited has unveiled a new version of its electric motor that pushes the limits once again. The unit weighs just 12.7 kilograms yet delivers an astonishing 1,020 horsepower, equating to more than 80 horsepower per kilogram. Numbers like these would make even Formula One engineers pause for thought.
Compared with the previous generation, the motor’s weight dropped from 13.1 to 12.7 kilograms while output jumped from 748 to 1,020 horsepower. That’s roughly a third more power and 3 percent less mass, a combination as precise and meaningful in motor engineering as a surgeon’s steady hand. In continuous operation, output ranges between 476 and 544 horsepower, showing that Yasa’s creation is not a laboratory fantasy but a fully functional power unit.
Lightweight revolution under Mercedes-Benz ownership
Yasa has been part of the Mercedes-Benz Group since 2021, though neither company is saying when, or even if, the motor will reach series production. In theory, the technology could power anything from affordable electric cars to full-blown hypercars. In practice, it demands an entirely new approach to drivetrain and suspension design.
Axial flux, radical results
Unlike conventional electric motors that use a cylindrical design, Yasa’s motor employs axial-flux technology, with magnetic fields arranged in a disc-shaped structure. This layout slashes weight and boosts torque, offering a major advantage for applications where space and mass are critical — from sports cars to hybrid aviation systems.
Power from the future
Yasa’s breakthrough underlines how rapidly electric propulsion is evolving. Only a few years ago, a 1,000-horsepower electric motor sounded like science fiction. Now that kind of power fits inside a single wheel. The real question is whether the automotive world is ready to harness it. Yasa may well be living a step ahead of its time, while the rest of the industry is still adjusting to the idea that an electric motor can weigh less than a bicycle frame yet pull harder than a tank.
