Mercedes-Benz CONCEPT AMG GT XX features YASA’s axial flux motors
July 2, 2025
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its CONCEPT AMG GT XX, offering insight into its first series-production model based on the AMG.EA high-performance electric architecture. The four-door sports car features three YASA axial flux motors and a high-performance battery, alongside technical developments expected to be seen in future series-production models.
Developed for electric and hybrid vehicles, YASA’s axial flux motors contain stators made from soft magnetic composite (SMC) powders. The motor reportedly delivers up to 4x greater performance than conventional electric motors (radial flux motors) on the road today. It enables high output from a highly compact package and is reported to be entering series production at Mercedes-AMG in 2026.
“The best minds in our global R&D network have contributed their extensive expertise – from Mercedes Benz in Sindelfingen and Untertürkheim to Mercedes AMG in Affalterbach and YASA in the UK to our Formula 1 drivetrain experts at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth,” stated Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Procurement. “Together, they have developed the CONCEPT AMG GT XX and are providing an insight into pioneering drivetrain technology and the future of performance. The technology programme pushes the boundaries even further and ventures into new ground. The CONCEPT AMG GT XX with its three axial flux motors now lifts performance and endurance to a completely new level.”
Axial flux motors have a power density around 3x that of conventional electric motors, are around two-thirds lighter, and are just one-third of the size. This compact motor design offers more flexibility when it comes to drivetrain packaging. Compared with conventional electric motors, the drive delivers a considerably higher sustained power output as well as higher torque. This translates into high levels of performance, reproducible again and again with great frequency.
In an axial flux motor, the electromagnetic flux runs parallel to the motor’s axis of rotation. In a conventional electric motor, it runs perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The large components in an axial flux motor are shaped like slim discs. The stator is positioned between two rotors on the left and right sides. This layout of stator and rotors enables optimum power transmission to the rotors through the electric field generated by the stator. In the CONCEPT AMG GT XX, this combination is just 8.9 cm wide. Each of the two motors at the rear are around just 7.9 cm wide.
The motors are packaged into two High Performance Electric Drive Units (HP.EDUs), with one at the front and one at the rear. The rear HP.EDU has two axial flux motors, each equipped with a compact planetary gearset and one inverter, in a single casing. The motors and transmissions are oil-cooled. To save even more space, the necessary pump control unit with hydraulic pumps and suction filters is integrated into the HP.EDU. The two inverters (one per motor) are water-cooled. The material properties of silicon carbide offer multiple benefits for demanding applications requiring high voltages, high current, high temperatures and high heat conductivity.
The front HP.EDU comprises one axial flux motor, a spur-gear transmission and an inverter. The front electric drive functions as a booster motor when additional power or traction is required at the front wheels. When the front electric motor is not needed for the driving situation, a Disconnect Unit (DCU) decouples it. During acceleration and recuperation, the DCU engages for optimal performance. During steady driving, low load and coasting, it disengages again, reducing unnecessary drag losses and increasing efficiency.
More than 1,341 hp peak output
With a peak output of over 1,341 hp, the CONCEPT AMG GT XX can reach speeds of more than 223 mph. In combination with the new high-performance battery, the three axial flux motors attain a level of continuous performance that was almost unthinkable in the world of electric mobility, until now. The battery remains in an optimal temperature range even during intense driving, enabling both performance on the road and extremely fast charging. The concept vehicle can charge to approximately 400 kilometres (WLTP)2 of range in around five minutes.
Axial flux motor production
The axial flux motors are produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in the Marienfelde area of Berlin. It has been an important part of the global Mercedes-Benz Powertrain production network for decades and handles the production of various drive components. Axial flux motor production involves approximately 100 processes, of which roughly sixty-five are new for Mercedes-Benz and thirty-five are said to be world firsts. These include new forms of laser technology combined with innovative joining processes and Artificial Intelligence.
These new production processes were developed largely in-house by Mercedes-Benz, and the innovations led to more than thirty patent applications, underscoring Berlin-Marienfelde’s leading role worldwide in Mercedes-Benz’s production-process innovations.
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