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Mercedes’ New Axial-Flux Motor Could Make Rear Brakes Obsolete

In the EV arms race, we’ve gotten used to bold claims: record-shattering motors, range numbers that sound like wishful thinking, charging tech that promises to “change everything.” But every once in a while, something genuinely disruptive rolls onto the stage. Mercedes’ subsidiary Yasa just unveiled one of those somethings.

A month after revealing an absurdly compact, absurdly powerful 12.7-kilogram axial-flux electric motor, the company is back with a bigger, stranger, and potentially industry-shifting announcement:
This motor may allow EVs to ditch their rear brakes entirely.

A Motor That’s Lighter Than Your Backpack—and Stronger Than a Supercar

Axial-flux motors are already known for wild power density, but Yasa’s new unit raises the bar. The company claims an unofficial record of 59 kW (80 hp) per kilogram, a figure that makes most conventional EV motors look like they’re skipping leg day.

Peak output? 1,020 horsepower.
Continuous output? Between 476 and 543 hp, depending on configuration.
And it pairs with Yasa’s own 15-kg dual inverter, forming a powertrain module that seems tailor-made for next-gen hypercars.

But the real twist is where Yasa wants to put it.

The Return of the Wheel Motor — But This Time It Might Actually Work

In-wheel motors aren’t new. They’ve been teased for years but rarely adopted because they’re typically heavy, unsophisticated, and murderous to unsprung mass. Yasa thinks it has cracked that problem.

By integrating its featherweight axial motor directly into the wheel assembly, the company says it can produce so much regenerative braking that physical rear brakes may not even be necessary. Not reduced. Not downsized. Deleted.

That’s not just an engineering party trick. Eliminating rear brakes — and possibly the entire rear axle assembly in some architectures — represents a stunning weight reduction:

  • Up to 200 kg saved on current platforms
  • Up to 500 kg saved on ground-up EV designs

For context, that’s roughly the curb weight difference between a Tesla Model 3 and a base Porsche 911.

Range Gains and New Design Freedom

According to Simon Odling, Yasa’s Head of New Technologies, the breakthrough isn’t just about shedding hardware. It’s also about capturing far more energy during braking — energy that currently turns into heat in EV brake pads.

More regen means more watt-hours back into the battery and, therefore, more range. And with huge mechanical components gone, designers suddenly have real freedom: new battery pack layouts, new aerodynamic concepts, cleaner underbodies, and optimized suspension kinematics.

In other words, this isn’t just a new motor. It’s a potential shift in the EV blueprint.

Where You’ll See It First

Mercedes-AMG will be the first to deploy Yasa’s axial-flux motors in upcoming high-performance EVs — specifically the all-electric AMG GT 4-Door sedan and SUV.

But don’t expect in-wheel motors on those models. They’ll use a traditional setup: one motor up front and two out back. Yasa’s in-wheel aspirations appear aimed beyond the near-term AMG lineup, toward next-generation platforms still being developed.

The EV world has been talking about reduced mechanical complexity for a decade. Yasa wants to take that idea to its logical extreme:
Let the motor do everything.
Drive the wheels. Slow the car. Capture the energy. Save the weight.

If the technology performs in the real world the way it does on paper, the EV landscape is about to get a lot lighter, more efficient, and maybe just a little weirder — in the best possible way.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

News

Spain Drops €1.28B to Go All-In on EVs by 2035

Spain just fired the loudest shot yet in Europe’s electric-vehicle transition. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a sweeping €1.28 billion support package designed to supercharge both EV adoption and manufacturing in 2026—and ultimately transform the country’s auto sector by 2035.

For a nation that has long been Europe’s second-largest carmaker, the stakes are high. Internal-combustion manufacturing still dominates Spanish assembly lines, but the government’s new plan aims to boost the EV share of production to 95 percent within a decade. It’s a massive pivot, and Madrid is making it clear: build electric or fall behind.

A Three-Part Plan to Spark an Electric Surge

The funding package hits three crucial areas of the EV ecosystem:

  • €400 million in direct subsidies will go toward consumer incentives, making electric cars more attainable for everyday buyers. Spain has long lagged behind northern Europe in EV uptake, and the government hopes the extra financial push will widen the market.
  • €580 million will flow into industrial investment, backed by EU recovery funds. This is meant to keep automakers operating in Spain—and encourage them to build their next generation of electric platforms locally rather than offshore.
  • €300 million is earmarked for charging infrastructure, focused on expanding highway fast-charging coverage. Range anxiety still looms large for Spanish drivers, especially outside major cities, and Madrid wants that barrier gone.

Saving Jobs by Electrifying the Assembly Line

The shift isn’t just about climate commitments; it’s also about employment. Hundreds of thousands of jobs in Spain depend on the auto industry, and the government is signaling that the only way to preserve them is to transform them. With domestic EV production still sitting at just 10 percent of new vehicles built between January and October, Spain is racing to catch up.

Hybrid powertrains—those blending gasoline engines with batteries—made up 26.7 percent of the cars rolling out of Spanish factories during the same period. But if Sánchez’s projections hold, by the mid-2030s Spaniards will be buying almost exclusively electric vehicles.

A Quiet Battery Giant Has Already Arrived

One major player is already moving in: CATL, China’s battery titan, recently opened a Spanish plant in partnership with Stellantis. The €4-billion project anchors part of Spain’s EV supply chain, but it also raises concerns about overreliance on foreign technology. Madrid’s message here is unmistakable—Spain wants local innovation, not just local assembly.

The Road Ahead

If Spain pulls this off, the country could leapfrog into a leadership position in Europe’s electric future. But there are hurdles: consumer adoption remains slow, supply chains are still forming, and competition across Europe is fierce.

Still, with more than a billion euros now on the table and an aggressive timeline, Spain isn’t just dipping a toe into the EV pool—it’s diving in headfirst. Whether the industry can swim fast enough remains the question.

Source: Reuters; Photo: EPA

News

Pininfarina and JAS Revive a Legend: The Honda NSX Reborn as the Tensei

In a world where the restomod scene has become a playground for dreamers with deep pockets and deeper nostalgia, it was only a matter of time before someone turned their attention to one of Japan’s greatest hits. Enter Tensei, a meticulously reimagined first-gen Honda NSX brought back to life by two giants of the automotive world: Pininfarina and JAS Motorsport.

The original NSX—Honda’s aluminum, mid-engine two-seater that stunned the world at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show—has long been considered untouchable. With development input from Ayrton Senna and engineering precision that challenged Ferrari at its own game, the first NSX earned its place among Japan’s all-time greats. Its successor never enjoyed the same mythos, making the original the obvious canvas for a modern resurrection.

A Faithful Form, Modern Materials

Pininfarina’s approach to the Tensei is refreshingly respectful. Rather than reinvent the NSX’s silhouette, the Italian studio chose to celebrate it. The restomod keeps the essential cues that made the original iconic: the canopy-style roofline inspired by the F-16 fighter jet, the distinctive glass curvature, and the low, purposeful stance.

But nostalgia only goes so far. Every exterior panel has been re-created in carbon fiber, wrapped tightly over the original aluminum chassis. The changes in shape are subtle—blink and you might miss them—but they’re purposeful, sharpening the car’s surfaces without erasing its heritage. Modern LED lighting replaces the original pop-ups, while ultra-light wheels with center-lock nuts sit over a beefed-up braking system that looks ready for track duty.

As for the interior? Pininfarina is keeping that part of the story out of the spotlight for now. No cabin photos have been released, which suggests something special is brewing behind those doors.

A Reborn V6 With Racing DNA

If you were worried the Tensei would trade mechanical soul for batteries and silence, relax. JAS Motorsport—Honda’s longtime racing partner—has confirmed that the car will stick with the NSX’s original naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6. But calling it “original” is almost misleading.

The engine has reportedly undergone a full, motorsport-grade rework, promising sharper throttle response, more power, and stronger torque. No numbers yet, but the upgrades aim to enrich the car’s character rather than inflate the spec sheet. Best of all, the Tensei comes exclusively with a six-speed manual, sending power straight to the rear wheels—just like the NSX should.

Built for the Few, Priced for the Elite

How many Tensei units will be built? No one’s talking. But insiders expect the run to be extremely limited, with pricing likely approaching the stratosphere occupied by another restomod superstar: Singer’s reimagined Porsche 911s. If that proves true, the Tensei won’t just be a collector’s car—it’ll be a collector’s badge of honor.

The Tensei appears to be exactly what a restomod NSX should be: faithful, focused, and obsessively crafted. Pininfarina brings elegance; JAS brings racing pedigree; the NSX brings its own legend. If the final product lives up to the names behind it, the Tensei could become one of the most desirable Japanese restomods ever built.

And for those lucky enough to get one next year? They won’t just be buying a car. They’ll be buying the rebirth of a masterpiece.

Source: JAS Motorsport

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