Why AMG Bought This Secret EV Tech | MotoMan Podcast # 023

What happens when a university engineering project completely upends the power dynamics of the world's most elite supercar manufacturers?In this episode of the MotoMan Podcast, we meet Dr. Tim Woolmer, the CTO and Founder of YASA Motors. Long before the automotive establishment fully embraced electrification, Woolmer engineered a radical departure from traditional propulsion: the axial flux "pancake" motor.By rewriting the core physics of electric motor topology, YASA managed to strip away 80% of necessary iron, delivering an astonishing three-to-one power-to-weight advantage over industry-standard radial machines. It is the exact breakthrough technology quietly weaponized inside the apex hyper-hybrids of Koenigsegg, Ferrari and Lamborghini—and it is now stepping directly into mainline production as the core architecture of the upcoming 2027 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door.Filmed on-site at YASA’s Oxford headquarters, this episode is a technical & narrative deep-dive into the realities of automotive disruption. We trace the journey from a crude 2006 PhD prototype to navigating tight venture funding rounds, partnering with Jaguar on the legendary C-X75 concept, and eventually executing a full corporate acquisition by Mercedes-Benz.Chapters00:00:00 - The Future of Italian Exotics Started in Oxford00:01:26 - A Quick Note on the Vault Episode00:02:11 - The Pancake Motor That Stopped the Room00:03:04 - Why YASA Had to Exist00:03:48 - Radial Motors, Axial Motors, and the Big Difference00:04:37 - The Tiny Stator With 250 Horsepower00:05:38 - How a Smaller Motor Makes Way More Power00:08:58 - Motor Number One: The Oxford PhD Prototype00:10:04 - Building an EV Startup Before EVs Were Obvious00:12:03 - The Jaguar C-X75 Moment That Proved It Could Work00:13:16 - The Hard, Messy Reality of a University Startup00:15:30 - From ‘I’ to ‘We’: Growing the YASA Team00:16:17 - The Car Guy Who Was Really an Electric-Car Guy00:19:04 - Batteries, Motors, Roads, and the Path He Chose00:21:01 - Morgan, Hydrogen, and the Project That Forced Real Progress00:23:59 - The Material Constraint That Sparked the Breakthrough00:26:53 - The Grid Problem Nobody Can Ignore00:29:28 - Help Grow the Motoman Podcast00:30:13 - Yes, These Motors Are in Ferraris00:32:25 - So Where Does Mercedes Fit In?00:34:30 - Mercedes Didn’t Just Buy Today’s Motor00:35:13 - Two Generations Ahead and Still Moving Fast00:36:22 - Inside the Oxford Factory Making the Future00:39:20 - Ferrari, Mercedes, and the Non-Compete Dance00:40:47 - Why New Car Tech Has to Enter at the Top00:43:32 - Aerospace, Patents, and the Moat Around YASA00:46:10 - Patents Matter, but Speed Matters More00:47:40 - The Next EV Leap: Moving the Motors00:49:42 - Why EVs Need to Get More Interesting00:52:43 - Could This Reach Everyday Mercedes Models?00:53:59 - DNA, Team, Luck, and the Formula Behind YASA#YASAMotors #MercedesAMG #Ferrari #AxialFlux #EVTech #AutomotiveEngineering #Koenigsegg #Lamborghini #MotoManPodcastFor driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCarsDownload the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOthttps://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcastConnect with our Short Form content here:https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/https://x.com/MotoManTVhttps://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantvhttp://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShortshttp://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClipshttp://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShortshttp://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClipsHelp us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.