Author: telliott
AEM to unveil next-generation heavy-duty HDRM motor at IAA Transportation 2026
(Washington, UK: August 11, 2026) – Advanced Electric Machines (AEM) will use IAA Transportation 2026 to unveil Titan, the next evolution of its heavy-duty electric motor technology – the largest and highest torque motor yet in the company’s proven HDRM family.
Making its public debut at the Hanover exhibition, show visitors will be able to explore a detailed 3D concept of the new motor, providing an early look at the company’s next-generation heavy-duty platform ahead of first samples arriving in Q3 2027.
Its arrival represents a step forward in AEM’s commercial vehicle strategy and is part of the company’s continued drive to expand its rare earth-free product portfolio. This is in part enabled by a recently announced £16 million business investment to accelerate the development of electric powertrain technologies.
Developed specifically for heavy duty, commercial-oriented applications, Titan builds on the success of the proven supplier’s HDRM range, delivering significantly higher torque to meet the demands of larger powertrain requirements.
Alongside the debut of Titan, AEM will also showcase its new to market integrated air-cooled electric drive system. The package combines the manufacturer’s smallest HDRM150 motor with a matched air-cooled inverter as a drop-in solution operating at up to 700V with a peak motor output exceeding 30kW.
First unveiled at iVT Expo earlier this year, the rare earth-free system removes the need for liquid cooling infrastructure. In eliminating coolant circuits, pumps and associated plumbing, the drivetrain offers OEMs a simpler, lighter and more robust solution that is easier to integrate and maintain in demanding off-highway ancillary applications.
James Widmer, CEO of Advanced Electric Machines, said: “Titan represents a major step forward for heavy-duty electrification, building on a platform that our customers already know and trust. Combined with our integrated air-cooled drivetrain system, we’re continuing to develop industry-leading technologies that simplify electrification and secure volatile supply chains by removing reliance on rare earth elements.
“IAA Transportation is where the global commercial vehicle industry comes together, making it the ideal stage to introduce the newest iteration of our renowned HDRM motor technology. In the two years since the last edition, we’ve firmly established our position as a major automotive supplier, expanded our global presence, strengthened our product portfolio and secured numerous contracts with major multinational businesses.“
Visitors can also see AEM’s technology on the SAF-HOLLAND stand, where the company’s TRAKr e-axle incorporates an HDRM150 rare earth free motor as a generator for regenerative energy recovery. The exhibition will provide an opportunity for both companies to showcase the continued progress of their partnership and its role in driving forward electrified commercial vehicle technologies.
Attendees can explore AEM’s latest technologies and speak with the company’s product experts on stand B40, Hall 12. For more information, visit: www.iaa-transportation.com/en
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Titan will join the HDRM150 (left) and HDRM300C (right) in AEM’s commercial vehicle- and industrial-focused HDRM motor range
About AEM
Advanced Electric Machines’ vision is to design and build the world’s most sustainable EV motors for the global automotive and transport sectors. It utilises its expertise in materials, manufacturing and design to ensure its solutions are not only more sustainable, but also more efficient and cost-effective.
AEM technologies are covered by 46 international patents protecting their unique motor designs and manufacturing processes around the world.
Contacts:
Advanced Electric Machines
John Edden, Torque Agency Group
jedden@torqueagencygroup.com | +44 (0) 7403 640 213
Euan Antona, Torque Agency Group
eantona@torqueagencygroup.com | +44 (0) 7702 334 887
Editor’s Note: High-resolution images, technical specifications, and interview opportunities with Dr James Widmer are available upon request. AEM can also arrange demonstrations of SSRD technology and customer case studies highlighting commercial vehicle success stories.
International Interest
Global interest grows in rare earth-free motor technology
The push to electrify transport is moving quickly, but the materials used inside today’s electric motors is an issue that’s becoming harder to ignore. Many high-performance motors in passenger and commercial vehicles rely on rare earth elements, which are difficult to source and heavily concentrated in a small number of regions globally. As demand for electric vehicles grows, this is starting to create real pressure on supply chains around the world.
At AEM, we’ve been responding to enquiries from major OEM and Tier 1 businesses internationally, as carmakers turn toward rare-earth free motor technology in a bid to build more stable, secure and sustainable supply chains. As such, our expertise and knowledge have been in high demand from the media. Our CEO, James Widmer, has been speaking to significant magazines and newspapers in the UK, Canada, India and Singapore to share an insight on why there is so much interest in our rare-earth free technology.
This growing attention reflects a wider shift in thinking. Rare earth supply is now seen as a serious risk. With global demand rising and supply concentrated in a small number of countries, manufacturers are starting to rethink whether current motor designs are sustainable for the long term.
What is driving this interest is a simple question: can electric motors be built in a way that avoids rare earths entirely, without losing performance? The answer is yes and for many manufacturers, this is now a key focus. The industry has relied on permanent magnet motors for years because they offer strong efficiency and power benefits – but the performance and reliability standards of rare-earth free technology can now match and exceed these performance benchmarks.
Advanced Electric Machines is one of the companies pioneering the rare-earth free technology shift. We have long been developing electric motor technology designed to offer similar performance to traditional motors, but without relying on permanent magnets made from rare earth materials.
For instance, one of AEM’s drop-in motor solutions delivers torque and power output comparable to that of a conventional mid-size petrol engine, but in a remarkably compact and lightweight package. Designed for straightforward integration into existing vehicle platforms, it offers exceptional efficiency, converting more than 95% of electrical energy into motion.
Operating comfortably within the performance range expected of premium mid-size electric vehicles, it demonstrates how advanced motor technology can combine practicality with high performance.
Instead of relying on magnets made from scarce materials, our motor designs use more widely available metals and alternative engineering methods. The goal is to create motors that can be produced at scale, with more stable costs and fewer supply chain risks.
As governments and manufacturers continue to focus on supply chain security and cost stability, technologies that reduce reliance on rare earth materials are likely to become more important. The growing global interest suggests that this shift is already well underway.
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About AEM
Advanced Electric Machines develops electric motor technologies for global automotive and commercial vehicle manufacturers. The company’s rare earth-free motor architectures address supply chain resilience and sustainability requirements across passenger car and commercial vehicle applications.
Operating from its engineering and manufacturing facility in Northeast England, AEM maintains an intellectual property portfolio of 46 international patents covering motor design and advanced manufacturing processes. The company’s HDRM platform has accumulated over four million kilometres of validated operation in commercial vehicle deployments.
AEM’s technical leadership draws on deep domain expertise in electric machine design, materials science and high-volume manufacturing processes. The company works with OEMs and tier one suppliers to integrate its motor technologies into next-generation electric powertrains, with development programmes targeting volume production in passenger car applications.
Contacts:
Advanced Electric Machines
John Edden, Torque Agency Group jedden@torqueagencygroup.com | +44 (0) 7403 640 213
Euan Antona, Torque Agency Group eantona@torqueagencygroup.com | +44 (0) 7702 334 887
AEM urges UK automotive leaders to break rare-earth dependency before EV transition stalls
- Export controls and concentrated supply chains put UK EV production and net zero targets at risk
- Proven rare-earth-free motor technology offers an immediate, lower-impact alternative
- “The technology to remove this vulnerability already exists. What’s missing is the urgency to adopt it,” Dr James Widmer
The UK automotive industry is sleepwalking into its next major supply chain crisis, according to Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), which is urging manufacturers and policymakers to act now to eliminate the sector’s reliance on rare earth materials before it compromises the electric vehicle transition.
In a new white paper released today, AEM warns that the widespread use of rare-earth permanent magnet motors in electric vehicles has created a single point of failure comparable to the semiconductor shortage that crippled global car production during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike semiconductors, however, this vulnerability is structural, worsening and already being exploited.
Recent export licensing restrictions on rare earth elements have forced production shutdowns across Europe, with manufacturers warning that further disruption is imminent. With one country controlling the vast majority of rare earth processing capacity, the report argues that the UK’s decarbonisation targets, automotive competitiveness and economic security are all now exposed to geopolitical, environmental and cyber risks beyond domestic control.
The white paper also emphasises that most electric vehicles rely on up to a kilogram of rare earths per motor, materials that are environmentally destructive to extract and increasingly subject to export controls. With the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate requiring 80% of new car sales to be zero-emission by 2030, AEM argues that current supply trajectories simply cannot support the required growth in EV production.
Crucially, the report challenges the assumption that rare earths are unavoidable. It sets out how proven, commercially deployed alternatives already exist. AEM’s rare-earth-free motor technology has accumulated more than four million kilometres in real-world operation across buses and light rail, delivering comparable performance, lower costs and significantly reduced environmental impact.
Lifecycle analysis cited in the report shows magnet-free motors can cut environmental impact by more than half compared to conventional permanent magnet designs, while also removing exposure to volatile rare earth pricing and geopolitically concentrated supply chains.
In tandem with these developments, the UK Government’s new Critical Minerals Strategy is a positive step in recognising the risks of highly concentrated supply chains, but AEM argues resilience will not be achieved by simply sourcing rare earths from different places. Where proven technologies exist that eliminate the need for critical minerals altogether, accelerating their adoption offers a faster, more secure route to meeting net zero targets and protecting the UK automotive sector from future disruption.
“We’ve been here before,” said Dr James Widmer, CEO and co-founder of Advanced Electric Machines. “The semiconductor crisis showed how quickly a hidden dependency can shut down production, damage confidence, and cost the industry billions. Rare earths represent an even greater risk because the dependency is deeper, the supply chains are more concentrated, and the disruption is no longer hypothetical. The technology to remove this vulnerability already exists. What’s missing is the urgency to adopt it.”
The white paper calls for immediate pilot programmes by UK manufacturers, coordinated supply chain risk assessments, and targeted government support to accelerate domestic production of rare-earth-free motors. It argues that establishing even partial independence within the next five years would materially reduce the risk of production shutdowns, missed climate targets and loss of consumer confidence in the EV transition.
To view the white paper in full, please visit: [LINK].
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About AEM
Advanced Electric Machines’ vision is to design and build the world’s most sustainable EV motors for the global automotive and transport sectors. It utilises its expertise in materials, manufacturing and design to ensure its solutions are not only more sustainable, but also more efficient and cost-effective.
Based in the Northeast of England, Advanced Electric Machines Limited was founded in 2017, when it was spun out from Newcastle University’s world-class electric motor research team, led by AEM’s CEO, Dr James Widmer, and CTO, Dr Andy Steven.
AEM technologies are covered by 46 international patents protecting their unique motor designs and manufacturing processes around the world.
Contacts:
Advanced Electric Machines
John Edden, Torque Agency Group
jedden@torqueagencygroup.com | +44 (0) 7403 640 213
Euan Antona, Torque Agency Group
eantona@torqueagencygroup.com | +44 (0) 7702 334 887
The Next Generation of HDRM motors
Next generation UK-manufactured motor reaps efficiency gains for heavy duty applications
Advanced Electric Machines (AEM) sets new standards in electric motor efficiency with next-generation solution
- New HDRM300C motor brings stronger performance and greater efficiency to AEM’s commercial vehicle-focused motor
- Revolutionary compressed coil technology achieves over 80% conductor slot fill rate compared to conventional 60%
- Enhanced thermal management and cooling design delivers superior continuous performance; higher top speed adds greater flexibility for customers
- Samples available from March, production due to commence in Q4 2025
Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), the UK-based manufacturer of sustainable, magnet-free electric motors, has unveiled the second generation of its popular solution for heavy duty and commercial vehicle applications. HDRM300C strengthens AEM’s position as a leading producer of rare-earth free motors and provides customers with an enhanced motor that offers stronger performance and greater efficiency.
Building on the success of its HDRM150 motor, where AEM first developed and validated its innovative coil compression technology, the HDRM300C represents a major advancement in electric motor design, achieving industry-leading conductor slot fill rates exceeding 80%. This proven technology, now evolved and scaled up from the smaller HDRM150, delivers measurably better power density and efficiency compared to conventional wire layouts that typically achieve less than 60% fill rates.
“The HDRM300C represents more than just an incremental improvement in motor technology,” says James Widmer, CEO of Advanced Electric Machines. “By combining our patented coil compression technology with enhanced thermal management and improved speed capabilities, we’re delivering a motor that sets new benchmarks for efficiency and performance. For the transportation industry, this means more capable electric vehicles that are more cost effective to operate and maintain.”
The practical benefits extend beyond pure performance. The HDRM300’s increased speed capability provides greater flexibility for system integration across diverse applications. New plug-in connectors have replaced traditional gland fittings, simplifying the installation and maintenance process, while maximising overall reliability. Internal components, including upgraded bearings and robust busbar connections, have been strengthened to support the motor’s higher operational speeds.
An improved motor cooling system, which works similarly to a car’s radiator, allows the machine to work harder for longer without overheating. This is particularly important for commercial vehicles, where consistent performance throughout the day is crucial. For fleet operators and vehicle manufacturers, this translates to vehicles that can carry heavier loads, climb steeper hills, and operate in more demanding conditions without compromise.
Sample units will be trialled with select partners from March 2025, with full production scheduled to commence in Q4 2025. The launch represents a significant milestone in AEM’s mission to revolutionise electric motor technology and establish new standards for sustainable transportation.
*Please note the omittance of ‘S’ in the product name (formally HDSRM). This is a product line rebrand and also applies to AEM’s HDRM150 motor.
About AEM
Advanced Electric Machines’ vision is to design and build the world’s most sustainable EV motors for the global automotive and transport sectors. It utilises its expertise in materials, manufacturing and design to ensure its solutions are not only more sustainable, but also more efficient and cost-effective.
Based in the Northeast of England, Advanced Electric Machines Limited was founded in 2017, when it was spun out from Newcastle University’s world-class electric motor research team, led by AEM’s CEO, Dr James Widmer, and CTO, Dr Andy Steven.
AEM technologies are covered by 46 international patents protecting their unique motor designs and manufacturing processes around the world.
Contacts:
Advanced Electric Machines
John Edden, Torque Agency Group
jedden@torqueagencygroup.com | +44 (0) 7403 640 213
Euan Antona, Torque Agency Group
eantona@torqueagencygroup.com | +44 (0) 7702 334 887
Why 2023 could be the watershed year for sustainable electrification
With the demand for electric vehicles set to increase next year, and the legislative mandate to stop ICE sales growing nearer, we think it’s inevitable that 2023 will see sustainable electrification become a major topic of discussion.
Though it’s widely accepted and acknowledged that battery manufacturing can be an environmentally damaging practice, the manufacturing of other EV powertrain componentry can be similarly impactful.
Permanent magnet motors, the mainstay of electric vehicles to date, utilise magnets containing rare-earth metals. These are in finite supply and are harmful to extract. It has been reported that, for every tonne of rare earth metals mined, 1.4 tonnes of radioactive waste can be produced.
Of course, we’re no strangers to the topic. Right from the get-go, we have said that electrification has to offer a solution – not create a problem. Our visit to COP26 in November 2021 was testament to this. Alongside David Thackray from Tevva and Professor Allan Walton of Hypromag, our team highlighted the environmental costs associated with the manufacturing and recycling of a legacy electric vehicle.
Part of the reason we feel that 2023 will mark a turning point in EV sustainability is because consumer awareness of these environmental issues is growing. We’re starting to see a noticeable uptick in the number of OEMs looking to specify equipment that mitigates the use of rare-earth metals.
Our sustainable semi-sinusoidal motor solution differs from other magnet-free motor technology. Other magnet-free motor technologies haven’t been successful due to poor efficiency and performance, with them often having to rely on increased use of other unsustainable materials. Conversely, AEM motors can meet, if not exceed, the performance and efficiency of PM motors whilst still reducing our environmental footprint.
The main reason permanent magnet motors have been long favoured is due to their efficiency compared to an induction set-up. We’ve been able to engineer our machines to be even more efficient than a permanent magnet motor, without needing the damaging materials. What’s more, it’s safer to operate and easier to recycle.
Today, it’s widely appreciated that there is a need for electrification. But it’s our collective duty and responsibility to do so sustainably.
A rare-earth free, efficient future for our railways
Electric motors are everywhere. Pretty much everything manufactured or engineered in the last 60 years will have benefitted from their involvement. They build our homes, our workplaces, the roads on which we drive, and the smartphones in our pockets – without electric motors, the world would be a very different place.
Our high societal dependency on electric motors is, naturally, good news for us at AEM. It means that we have the scope to deploy our semi-sinusoidal technology in a multitude of different sectors and applications. So far, our focus has been on supporting the automotive sector. But, behind the scenes, our technology is also being used to help repair and maintain the UK’s railways.
An electrified railway
The rail industry, both light and heavy, is a major consumer of electric motors. Though many of our routes are electrified in the UK, other countries around the world operate electric infrastructure almost exclusively.
Electrified track needs electric locomotives, multiple units and trams, each utilising traction motors. Even in combustion-engined trains, it’s become common for manufacturers to adopt a high-efficiency ‘diesel-electric’ model. This sees the train or locomotive’s engines used to generate electricity, rather than drive the wheels. The electricity is then fed to traction motors to provide the motion.
Then, you’ve got a broad array of infrastructure maintenance equipment, such as tamping units, road-rail vehicles and catenary installation machines. All are likely to either make use of electric powertrains in the near future if they aren’t already.
Same motors, same issues
When it comes to pre-existing motor technology, the rail industry suffers from the same issues as the automotive sector. Where permanent magnet technology is deployed, predominantly on maintenance machinery, the motors rely on rare-earth permanent magnets. These use finite metals in limited supply and are environmentally damaging to extract and process.
Induction motors are more commonplace on locomotives and multiple units, but these have their weaknesses, too. While they don’t use magnets like a permanent magnet machine, they are notably less efficient. The result is that more fuel is needed to achieve the required tractive effort.
AEM’s electric motor technology is both rare-earth free and even more efficient than a permanent magnet machine. Our design swaps a permanent magnet or induction design for an electrical steel rotor. Not only does this make it more sustainable to manufacture and easier to recycle, but it has proven to be more power dense and safer to run.
Making inroads
As we mentioned earlier, we have already taken steps to increase our presence in the rail sector over the last couple of years. Through our partnership with McCulloch Group and Unipart Rail, we have provided the electric motors for the industry-changing TRT-e – a zero-emissions Trac Rail Transposer. The vehicle is used to move sections of the railhead during track engineering works.
TRT-e has been in regular use with Network Rail, demonstrating considerable noise and emissions benefits when used over a similar diesel-powered equivalent.
Sector transformation doesn’t happen overnight. We’re excited about the opportunity that the railways possess, and our relationship with McCulloch Group, we feel, is a rewarding and positive start.
North East manufacturing – looking back and forward
Advanced Electric Machines is proud to originate from and operate out of The North East of England. The North East is renowned for its rich history in manufacturing, and the region’s strong association with industry goes back many years. A whole host of prestigious companies set out their stall on the banks of the River Tyne and the River Wear, and these businesses had a reputation that spanned the entire globe. With this, the North East’s coal mining and shipyard industries became known far and wide across the world.
Stemming from as far back as the Middle Ages, the mining of coal allowed the North East to take advantage of the significant amount of iron that was found in the region to manufacture a variety of products, including anchors and tools. The Industrial Revolution laid the foundation for the area to become a hub of industry, with the worldwide demand for coal a driving force of innovation.
Such innovation was critical in the success of the region’s shipbuilding industry. Early shipbuilding achievements included building vessels for the King’s fleet in the 1200s, but the North East would eventually become the primary manufacturer of ships in Britain, which was itself the world’s largest producer of ships at the time.
Fast forward to the modern age, and while the coal mining and shipbuilding industries are no longer open for business, their memory evokes a sense of local pride. Mike O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer at Advanced Electric Machines, speaks particularly fondly of the North East’s manufacturing heritage.
Mike’s own family has a deep connection to the region’s manufacturing past. His grandfather and father worked on the area’s famous shipyards for William Doxford & Sons, where he helped to build ship engines that would be sold around the world. Mike’s mother also worked in manufacturing in the North East, making deflection coils that would be used in contemporary televisions for Philips Components. It should come as no surprise, then, that Mike would go on to help lead Advanced Electric Machines’ efforts to supply sustainable electric motors across the globe.
The path that Mike has taken, in having a pivotal role in the first five years of Advanced Electric Machines’ journey, has come from his “passion to establish a North East homegrown manufacturing business and put it on the map.”
This passion has been inspired by some of the North East’s most innovative industrialists – Mike is even able to reel off a list of the names of local manufacturing icons, such as George Stephenson (who built the first locomotive to haul coal in 1814), Joseph Swann (who developed the first incandescent light bulbs to illuminate homes and public buildings in 1881), and William Armstrong (a renowned visionary inventor and engineer who built the world’s first home to be powered by hydroelectricity in 1869).
Does the current manufacturing landscape live up to what the past had to offer in the North East? In Mike’s eyes, the innovation of the region is getting stronger all the time, with continuous investment facilitating a greater offering. One such example is car manufacturer Nissan, which is demonstrating its confidence in the North East by investing in its European manufacturing facility in Sunderland. This has brought tier one automotive suppliers to the region to supply Nissan, which has and created a hub of supporting businesses that have become a huge source of employment to the region.
Perhaps all that is missing in the North East right now are large homegrown manufacturers. While there is an abundance of smaller homegrown businesses, the bigger manufacturers in the region are predominantly established elsewhere in the world. Mike’s ambition is for Advanced Electric Machines to fill the void and employ people that are local to the area.
Advanced Electric Machines is determined to contribute back to the North East. Mike commented: “Although we’re manufacturing new innovative products with new technology, we don’t just want to look after our own business; we want to do everything we can to share the success of Advanced Electric Machines with the community. We want to serve as a local employer with local employees that are more than just a number, as was the case with the working communities established by our iconic manufacturing predecessors.”
As for what the future holds, the North East is certainly in a good place. Local councils have been investing heavily to support business development and new infrastructure, which will nurture local innovation, as well as attract existing businesses to the region. Automotive electrification in particular seems to have developed the manufacturing landscape in the area, with Advanced Electric Machines one of several local businesses pushing for greater sustainability. Mike’s belief is that, “the combined strength of automotive manufacturers of all kinds will stand the North East in good stead to continue to be a hugely successful manufacturing region.”
What is the true scale of electrification?
By now, it would have been nigh on impossible to have avoided discussion about automotive electrification. High on the list of priorities of governments, industry, and various climate scientists across the globe, the electric vehicle dialogue has intensified over the years.
Much of this dialogue centres around passenger cars, trucks and vans.
With the prominent role that these vehicles play in the everyday lives of most people, this seems reasonable. And yet, there are so many other types of vehicle that get overlooked when we talk about electrification. These vehicles, much like passenger cars, are integral to society, as well as the economy.
One such example is the bus. Renowned for getting a wide cross-section of the general public from A to B, these vehicles make up an important part of the electrification landscape. According to a statistical release published in October 2020 by the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport, local bus services travelled a total of 1.13 billion miles in the year ending March 2020. If left unelectrified, the carbon footprint of these vehicles will remain substantial. In 2020, despite the pandemic significantly reducing travel, the emissions from UK buses was still 2.2 million metric tonnes, which is enough to fill 440,000 hot air balloons.
In many places across the world, including in the UK, this is a problem that is being tackled. In Indonesia, for example, PT INKA, a state-owned rolling stock and automotive manufacturer, has collaborated with Advanced Electric Machines to manufacture electrified buses. These buses will contain our sustainable electric motor technology and will be crucial to meeting the Indonesian government’s commitment to electrifying its fleet of public transportation buses by 2030.
Also overlooked are off-highway vehicles. Used on steep or uneven ground, off-highway vehicles are used in the construction and agricultural sectors, including everything from mining vehicles and tractors to mobile platforms and cranes. Consider the fuel required for one bulldozer to function on a construction site for one day’s work. Powering this vehicle with an internal combustion engine goes against the sustainable practices that the imminent bans of petrol and diesel passenger cars the world is striving towards.
In our work with SCG International, we have been working alongside the cement and building material provider to make a difference in Thailand’s construction industry. Advanced Electric Machines and SCG recently signed a memorandum of understanding to develop innovative solutions for SCG’s next generation of zero-emissions mixing and transportation machinery. In this capacity, we will integrate our unique electric motors into SCG’s forward-thinking product range.
Our ambition to achieve greater sustainability in the transport sector has not stopped there, either. We have identified road trains as another vehicle type that has been neglected in the approach towards electrification. Particularly prominent in Australia, these vehicles undertake extremely long journeys to transport goods overland to remote areas.
Qube Logistics is an Australian provider of import and export logistics services, operating long-distance road trains. In partnership with Adgero, Advanced Electric Machines’ sustainable technology is helping the company to boost the capacity and efficiency of its trains and minimise its running costs. Qube’s new sustainable e-axle solution will utilise our HDSRM300T drive system, with each axle fitted with two rare-earth free motors and a transmission.
As you can see, there’s more to automotive electrification than merely passenger cars, trucks and vans. Research undertaken by the International Energy Agency has predicted that there will be 145 million of these types of vehicles electrified and on the road by 2030. But this 145 million doesn’t even remotely take vehicles used for construction, in agriculture, for public transport, and for various other means into account. It is clear that the scale of electrification is more than meets the eye, and it remains our goal here at Advanced Electric Machines to make sure that this process occurs in a sustainable manner.
Why the North East is pioneering the next generation of electric vehicles
The electric revolution is already in full swing. Last year, 450,000 electric and hybrid vehicles were registered in the UK–that’s 1 in 4 of all new cars and vans. Meanwhile some experts predict there will be 20 million electrified vehicles on global roads by 2025.
Of all areas of the UK, it is surely the North East of England that is already benefitting most from this global move towards electrification. Aided by the introduction of the Nissan Leaf–arguably the world’s first mass-market EV–which entered production at the company’s Sunderland facility in 2010, the region now boasts burgeoning electric vehicle expertise.
At the same time that Nissan began production of the Leaf more than a decade ago, it also opened a local facility to produce the vehicle’s battery cells. This spawned smaller companies that both supplied and fed off Nissan’s plant–such as Sunderland-based Hyperdrive, which repackaged the plant’s battery cells into bespoke applications.
Back in 2010 it was hard to imagine that the electric vehicle industry would grow up in the way that it has, and that the North East would become such a relevant part of its future. As well as the gravitational pull of Nissan’s electrification programme, this was also thanks to several academic and industry initiatives.
To begin with, Newcastle University boasts the UK’s largest academic research group in Electrical Power. It was within this group, and as faculty at the university, that our own founders Dr James Widmer and Dr Andy Steven first pioneered the technology that sets Advanced Electric Machines apart today.
The academic might of the region also meant that when the Advanced Propulsion Centre was looking to set up an electric machines hub to drive UK development of EV motor technology in 2016, Newcastle University was the obvious choice.
This was followed in 2019 by the foundation of the Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centre, which brings together world class capability in power electronics, machines and driver (PEMD).
All of this combined creates a fascinating hotbed of innovation, which puts the North East in a great position to capitalise on the next generation of electric vehicles. As demand grows, tomorrow’s electric vehicles need to be more efficient and less costly to produce, while also cleaning up a problematic and volatile supply chain.
We’re already seeing North East-based companies rising to the challenge. There’s Advanced Electric Machines of course, with our plans to make the world’s EV motors truly sustainable from our Newcastle headquarters, but there is also Turntide, which occupies what was once Hyperdrive’s facility. Meanwhile, the North East will boast not one but two Gigafactories thanks to investment by BritishVolt and Envision,(the latter now owns Nissan’s Sunderland battery plant). And this is just the start–as these companies thrive, more will follow to feed from and feed into the region’s success.
We’ve come a long way since Nissan started production of the Nissan Leaf in Sunderland, and the prospects for local companies involved in the electric revolution look brighter than ever.