Mercedes‑Benz starts large‑scale production of electric axial flux motor

Mercedes fires up a flashy new EV motor — and the comments instantly turned into a UK-vs-Europe roast

TLDR: Mercedes has begun mass-producing a new high-performance electric motor in Berlin for a future AMG model, calling it a major breakthrough. Commenters were more interested in the drama: some cheered the long-awaited launch, while others mocked the unclear explanation, the complex factory process, and the fact the underlying tech came from Britain.

Mercedes-Benz says it has started large-scale production of a new electric motor in Berlin, with 35 brand-new manufacturing processes, 30+ patent filings, and a debut in the upcoming high-performance AMG four-door coupe. In plain English: Mercedes is betting big on a smaller, more powerful electric motor and wants the world to know this is a major factory flex. But in the comments, the real action wasn’t the press-release victory lap — it was the sound of people arguing over who really gets the credit and whether any of this will actually matter.

The biggest drama came from the YASA angle, the British motor company Mercedes bought in 2021. Several commenters basically turned the news into a national heartbreak thread, lamenting that yet another UK innovation seems to be scaling up abroad. One jab was especially brutal, dragging Britain as “the only country to have a space programme and abandon it.” Ouch. Others were happier just to see the tech finally making it into real cars, calling it “amazing” and praising Mercedes for actually commercializing it instead of leaving it as a lab curiosity.

Then came the skeptics. One commenter complained the article never really explained what this motor even is, which is fair! Another went full doompost, arguing that bragging about 98 manufacturing steps sounds less like progress and more like a warning label — especially if the first car using it ends up a pricey flop. So yes, Mercedes unveiled a shiny new electric future, and the internet immediately replied: cool story, but is it useful, who profits, and why is this so complicated?

Key Points

  • Mercedes-Benz has started large-scale production of its electric axial flux motor at the Berlin-Marienfelde plant.
  • The new motor will make its first production-vehicle appearance in the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé.
  • Mercedes-Benz says the production system includes 98 process steps, with 65 new to the company and 35 new worldwide.
  • The manufacturing technologies developed for the program have led to more than 30 patent applications.
  • Production is set up across about 30,000 square meters in three halls and seven production lines at the Berlin-Marienfelde site.

Hottest takes

"another fantastic British innovator ... having to realize its potential ... abroad" — throwaway132448
"it would have been awesome if that article had ... explained what an electric axial flux motor was" — AndrewDucker
"The car where thid motor will be used will ... be a massive flop" — eptcyka
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