New 28-pound electric motor out-powers a Tesla Model S Plaid

YASA's 12.7-kg prototype motor hits 750 kW and 59 kW/kg, smashing its own record set just months ago with no exotic materials.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 2:07pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A 28-pound electric motor that puts out more than 1,000 horsepower has been developed by YASA, a British electric motor company owned by Mercedes-Benz. The new prototype weighs 12.7 kilograms (28 lbs) and generates a peak of 750 kilowatts, which translates to a power density of 59 kilowatts per kilogram - a 40% jump over YASA's previous record-setting motor from just months prior. This motor outperforms even the most powerful electric motors used in production vehicles today.

Why it matters

This breakthrough in electric motor technology could have significant implications for the automotive industry, as smaller, lighter, and more powerful motors provide greater flexibility in vehicle design and the potential to close the gap between hypercar-grade performance and production-vehicle hardware. The fact that YASA achieved this using scalable materials and processes, rather than exotic or prohibitively expensive components, makes the technology more viable for widespread adoption.

The details

YASA, a British electric motor company owned by Mercedes-Benz, has developed a new prototype motor that weighs just 12.7 kilograms (28 lbs) but generates a peak of 750 kilowatts, or over 1,000 horsepower. This represents a power density of 59 kilowatts per kilogram, a 40% improvement over YASA's previous record-setting motor from just a few months earlier. The motor uses an axial flux design, which stacks magnetic components differently than conventional motors to produce more power in a smaller package. YASA's new prototype significantly outperforms other high-power density motors, including units from H3X, Equipmake, and Donut Labs, which top out around 13-15 kW/kg.

  • YASA set an unofficial world record for power density with a 13.1-kilogram motor producing 550 kilowatts earlier this summer.
  • YASA then went back to the dyno and beat its own record with the new 12.7-kilogram prototype generating 750 kilowatts.

The players

YASA

A British electric motor company owned by Mercedes-Benz and based out of an innovation center in Oxford. YASA builds axial flux motors, a design that stacks magnetic components differently than conventional motors to produce more power from a smaller package.

Tim Woolmer

YASA's founder and chief technology officer.

Simon Odling

YASA's chief of new technology.

Joerg Miska

YASA's CEO.

Advanced Propulsion Centre

A UK organization that provided support for the development of YASA's record-breaking motor prototype.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This isn't a concept on a screen. It's running, right now, on the dynos. We've built an electric motor that's significantly more power-dense than anything before it, all with scalable materials and processes.”

— Tim Woolmer, YASA's founder and chief technology officer (thebrighterside.news)

“This is real hardware, in real life, delivering real data, and it's performing beautifully.”

— Simon Odling, YASA's chief of new technology (thebrighterside.news)

“With three times the performance density of today's leading radial flux motors, YASA continues to redefine the boundaries of what's possible in electric motor design.”

— Joerg Miska, YASA's CEO (thebrighterside.news)

What’s next

YASA declined to offer a timeline for when this prototype architecture might move toward production, but the record-breaking motor remains in a rigorous development program with the company continuing to release updates as testing progresses.

The takeaway

YASA's new 28-pound electric motor prototype represents a significant breakthrough in power density for electric propulsion, outperforming even the most powerful motors used in production vehicles today. The scalable nature of the technology, without reliance on exotic materials, could have far-reaching implications for the design flexibility and performance capabilities of future electric vehicles across segments.