The Royal Automobile Club’s Dewar Trophy has been awarded to YASA – in recognition of the successful development and commercialisation of a new electric propulsion technology, the YASA axial-flux motor.

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YASA wins Dewar Trophy. From left to right: Ben Cussons, Tim Woolmer, Konstantin Neiss. (Photo: Business Wire)

The prestigious award was presented to YASA Founder and CTO, Tim Woolmer, at an event held today at the historic RAC Club in London.

The Dewar Trophy is awarded annually by The Royal Automobile Club for ‘Outstanding British Technical Achievement in the automotive industry', and is one of the most prestigious awards in British engineering.

This year’s recipient, YASA, originally spun-out from Oxford University in 2009 by Tim Woolmer while he was studying his PhD in Engineering. Today, YASA’s 400 strong UK-based team are recognised as world-leading pioneers in electric propulsion technology.

In 2021, YASA was acquired by Mercedes-Benz AG and is now at the heart of Mercedes’ plans to go fully electric by 2030.

The uniquely compact yet powerful topology of the axial-flux YASA electric motor frees up space and opens up exciting opportunities for electric vehicle design, as evidenced by the stunning Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept unveiled earlier this year. YASA’s current generation of in-market products already deliver 250bhp from a 12kg electric motor package. However, the next generation of YASA motors promise to deliver another step change in performance and weight-saving.

The Dewar Trophy caps off another successful year for YASA, who were recently awarded £21.2 million in funding and grants from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) UK to ‘develop an electric wheel motor and active suspension handling system’. The project is part of the UK government's ambition to support the scale up of the research and development of net-zero vehicle technology.

Tim Woolmer, Founder and CTO at YASA said: “Receiving the Dewar Trophy is a huge honour for the entire YASA team, and a tremendous recognition of our axial-flux electric motor technology. We’re proud that YASA is at the forefront of the electric revolution as we, together with Mercedes-Benz, continue to reset the bar for electric driving experiences.”

Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Dewar Technical Committee, commented: “The Dewar Trophy was originally presented in 1906. It is awarded at the discretion of the Technical Committee of the Royal Automobile Club, in any calendar year when the committee considers there is a contender of sufficient merit. The list of past winners is a roll-call of leading names such as Dunlop, Triplex, Lucas, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, JCB, all of which encapsulate engineering brilliance. Now there is yet another to add. Led by Dr Tim Woolmer, YASA’s development of axial-flux motors captures the simple essence of this special award – an outstanding British technical achievement.”

“This is exactly what we have here today. It’s an engineering breakthrough that has evolved electric propulsion to the next level, and is likely to influence the cars we will drive in the future. YASA is also overturning the norms of materials technology and manufacturing processes, as it gears up to mass-produce its components. We heartily congratulate Tim and his restlessly ambitious team for what they’ve achieved.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About YASA:

Acquired by Mercedes-Benz Group in 2021, YASA's vision has always been to make electric cars as light and sustainable as possible by reducing the electric motor’s mass and use of materials - while simultaneously maximising its efficiency. YASA design and manufacture high-performance electric motors and power electronics for the automotive industry across sites in Oxford, Bicester and Welshpool. YASA’s revolutionary axial-flux electric powertrain technology delivers the highest power/torque densities in class for the smallest size and weight.

For further information, please visit https://www.yasa.com

About the Dewar Technical Committee

The Dewar Technical Committee has existed for more than a century and is made up of leading experts from across the automotive industry. Chaired by Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, the committee also includes engineering consultant Alec Osborn MBE, Autocar Editor-in-Chief Steve Cropley, motor racing engineer Pat Symonds, motorsport journalist Charles Armstrong-Wilson, Professor David Greenwood from Warwick University, and past winner Dan Parry-Williams, Director of IQUAD Technology.

About The Royal Automobile Club:

The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897 and its distinguished history mirrors that of motoring itself. In 1907, the Club was awarded its Royal title by King Edward VII, sealing the Club’s status as Britain’s oldest and most influential motoring organisation.

The Club’s early years were focused on promoting the motor car and its place in society, which developed into motoring events such as the 1000 Mile Trial, first held in 1900. In 1905, the Club held the first Tourist Trophy, which remains the oldest continuously competed-for motorsport event. The Club promoted the first pre-war and post-war British Grands Prix at Brooklands in 1926 and Silverstone in 1948 respectively, while continuing to campaign for the rights of the motorist, including introducing the first driving licences.

Today, the Club continues to develop and support automobilism through representation on the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Motorsport UK and the RAC Foundation, while also promoting its own motoring events including London Motor Week, which features the free-to-attend St James’s International Concours and the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

The Club also awards a series of internationally recognised trophies and medals celebrating motoring achievements. These include the Segrave Trophy, the Torrens Trophy, the Simms Medal, the Dewar Trophy and the oldest trophy in motorsport still being competed for today, the Tourist Trophy.

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