What Advanced Electric Machines does

Advanced Electric Machines (AEM) is a UK-based manufacturer founded in March 2017 as a spin-out from Newcastle University by Dr James Widmer (CEO) and Dr Andy Steven (CTO), headquartered in Washington, Tyne and Wear. The company designs and builds magnet-free, rare-earth-free electric traction motors based on switched reluctance architecture, using compressed aluminium windings instead of copper coils, making its motors fully recyclable and eliminating exposure to Chinese rare-earth supply concentration and price volatility. AEM holds 46 international patents covering its motor designs and manufacturing processes, including compressed coil technology that achieves over 80% conductor slot fill rates versus conventional 60%.

AEM's product portfolio centres on two platforms: the HDRM (High Density Reluctance Motor) family for commercial vehicles, including the HDRM150 TC for light commercial vehicles and the HDRM300/300C for heavy-duty applications, plus the SSRD (Semi-Sinusoidal Reluctance Drive) platform for passenger cars with up to 30,000 rpm capability. Products are sold both as standalone motors and as integrated e-axle systems, with over 4 million kilometres of validated real-world operation in commercial vehicle deployments.

The company generates revenue through direct hardware sales of motors and drive systems to automotive OEMs and commercial vehicle manufacturers, complemented by multi-year bespoke development contracts with Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs. Customers and partners include Bentley, Volkswagen, Tevva, CNH Industrial (Case IH, New Holland, Steyr), SAF-Holland, and various Asian and Latin American fleet operators. AEM operates a Washington manufacturing facility engineered for up to 50,000 motors per year, is ISO 9001/14001/45001 certified, and following a £23 million Series A in November 2023 is scaling production capacity and a global sales footprint with a target of adding 40 skilled green jobs.

Name

Advanced Electric Machines

Legal name

Advanced Electric Machines Ltd

Website

https://advancedelectricmachines.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Advanced Electric Machines is a UK-based manufacturer of magnet-free, rare-earth-free switched reluctance electric motors using compressed aluminium windings, serving automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and commercial vehicle makers across commercial, passenger, off-highway, rail, and industrial sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Traction Motors

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (33632), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (336320), Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing (3359)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Electric Drive Unit / E-Axle Manufacturing (Motors/Inverters/Gearboxes) (IMACACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Power Electronics Manufacturing (Inverters/DC-DC/Onboard Chargers) (IMACACAD), Automotive Electric Motors & Actuators Manufacturing (EPS/Brake-by-wire/Seat/Window) (IMACAJAL), Industrial Electrification of Drives & Equipment (Motors, VFDs, Compressed Air, Pumps) (EUABAJAE)

Keywords

• Electric traction motors
• Rare earth free motors
• Commercial vehicle powertrains
• Switched reluctance motors
• Passenger car motors

Headquarters

HQ city

Blaydon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Electric Motor Sales: Sale of magnet-free electric traction motors and drive systems to automotive manufacturers and commercial vehicle makers. Products include HDRM150, HDRM300, HDRM300 Systems, and SSRD motors.
2. Development Contracts: Engineering development contracts with Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs for bespoke motor technology development and integration. AEM secured a seven-figure contract for SSRD motor technology development.
3. Bespoke Solutions: Custom motor development partnerships with long-term collaborators requiring tailored electric motor solutions for specific applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Advanced Electric Machines designs and manufactures magnet-free, rare-earth-free electric traction motors and integrated motor-and-transmission drive systems for commercial vehicles, passenger cars, off-highway machinery, rail, and industrial applications. Its HDRM and SSRD platforms use compressed aluminium windings and electrical steel rotors in place of copper and permanent magnets, enabling fully recyclable motors sold directly to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers alongside bespoke development services.

Product overview

Advanced Electric Machines (AEM) is a UK-based manufacturer specializing in sustainable, magnet-free electric motor technology. The company's product portfolio centers on its proprietary HDRM (High Density Reluctance Motor) platform and SSRD (Semi-Sinusoidal Reluctance Drive) technology. The HDRM family includes the HDRM™150 TC for light commercial vehicles, HDRM™300 and HDRM™300C for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, with associated drive systems and variants (T, TC designations) offering different power/torque specifications. The SSRD represents AEM's next-generation passenger car solution with integrated power electronics and transmission. All products eliminate rare earth magnets and copper windings, replacing them with electrical steel rotors and compressed aluminium coils. The company also offers bespoke development services for customers requiring customized motor solutions. Applications span commercial vehicles, passenger cars, off-highway, rail, and industrial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HDRM™150 TC Lightweight, powerful and efficient magnet-free traction motor designed for light commercial vehicles, leveraging AEM's patented coil compression technology for improved power density and efficiency.
• HDRM™300 Next-generation rare earth magnet-free traction motor for commercial vehicles, offering class-leading power density and torque.
• HDRM™300 System Class-leading integrated motor and transmission drive system incorporating rare earth magnet-free motor technology, available with HDRM300 and HDRM300T motors for high efficiency over real-world duty cycles.
• SSRD Ultra-high performance, fully recyclable traction motor for passenger cars integrating motors, power electronics and transmission, delivering 308 kW peak power and capability up to 30,000 rpm without rare earth magnets or copper.
• HDRM™300C Next-generation commercial vehicle motor using revolutionary compressed coil technology achieving over 80% conductor slot fill rate, delivering stronger performance, greater efficiency, and enhanced thermal management.
• HDRM™300T Higher torque variant of the HDRM300 traction motor for applications requiring increased torque output, including harsh environment off-highway use.
• HDRM™300TC High torque continuous-power variant of the HDRM300 with 215 kW continuous power output for demanding commercial vehicle applications.
• Bespoke Motor Solutions Custom electric motor development service using AEM's modular design capability, delivering tailored motor and drive system solutions for specific customer applications across automotive, aerospace, marine, rail and industrial sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 12% efficiency improvement over conventional permanent magnet motors
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and supporting.

• Tata SteelkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022COCO2 (Coil to Core) project partner developing cost-effective material supply and manufacturing of new high strength steels.
• Bentley MotorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCTOPUS project for developing E-Axle free of rare earth materials; previously worked on APEX motor technology project; APEX generated 10 new innovative ideas being patented.
• CNH IndustrialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElecTra project for electrification of agricultural vehicles; brands include Case IH, New Holland Agriculture and Steyr.
• TevvacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership since 2016; worked on electric truck projects; collaborated on hydrogen fuel cell range-extended truck (SANGREAL project).
• SAF-HollandkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerBespoke motor integration into SAF-Holland's innovative e-axle system (TRAKr); weekly progress meetings maintained for over a year.
• Centre for Process Innovation (CPI)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOCO2 project partner for developing PEMD supply chain in UK.
• Coventry UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOCO2 project academic partner.
• TTPikeyTechnology or IntegrationOCTOPUS project partner delivering integrated power electronics system.
• HietasupportingTechnology or IntegrationOCTOPUS project partner using latest materials and manufacturing techniques.
• TalgasupportingTechnology or IntegrationOCTOPUS project partner providing advanced carbon materials.
• Hartree CentresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCTOPUS project partner; using Europe's most powerful supercomputer to model motor, power electronics and transmission systems.
• Diamond Light SourcesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCTOPUS project partner; UK's most powerful X-ray source used to examine motor at up to 30,000 rpm.
• University of BathsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCTOPUS project academic partner supporting with latest thinking in test and simulation.
• SR TechnologiessupportingTechnology or IntegrationElecTra project partner for agricultural vehicle electrification.
• SemikronsupportingTechnology or IntegrationElecTra project partner for power electronics in agricultural applications.
• HypromagkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaRE project partner; leader in magnet recycling using Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) method.
• University of BirminghamkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaRE project partner; developed patented HPMS method for rare earth magnet recycling from NdFeB magnets.
• UnipartsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaRE project partner developing scalable manufacturing route for recycled rare earth magnet production.
• SCG InternationalkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerMOU partner for Thailand and Southeast Asia market; aims to build sustainable electrification future for the region.
• Cho ThaveekeyGTM or Marketing PartnerMOU partner for developing solutions enabling internal combustion engine cars to be electrified.
• Asia CabkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerMOU partner; first order for electric motors in Thailand market.
• Newcastle UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpin-out origin; world-class electric motor research team. Company founded in 2017 spun out from Newcastle University.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Equipmake: UK-based manufacturer of electric motors and powertrains focused on rare-earth-free / spoke motor designs for commercial vehicles, buses, and aerospace. Most directly comparable to AEM given similar UK base, reluctance-style architecture, and commercial-vehicle focus.
• Saietta Group: UK-listed developer of proprietary axial-flux permanent magnet motors for light electric vehicles, commercial vehicles, and marine. Comparable to AEM as a UK-based electric motor technology company targeting similar OEM and commercial-vehicle customer base.
• Turntide Technologies: US-based company commercialising switched-reluctance motor and drive technology originally developed for industrial and HVAC applications, now expanding into EVs. Highly comparable to AEM because the underlying technology (switched reluctance) and target markets (sustainable, magnet-free motors) closely overlap.

Broad incumbents

• BorgWarner: Global Tier 1 supplier of automotive powertrain and e-mobility components, including EV motors, inverters, and integrated drive modules. Comparable as a competing supplier of EV traction motors and drivetrains to AEM's OEM customer base, though AEM is a focused specialist while BorgWarner offers a full portfolio.
• Nidec: Japanese global leader in electric motors across automotive, appliance, and industrial markets, with significant EV traction motor ambitions (E-Axle). Comparable to AEM as a major EV motor manufacturer supplying global OEMs, though AEM differentiates on rare-earth-free architecture versus Nidec's PM motor focus.
• Dana Incorporated: Global supplier of e-axles, drivetrain, and propulsion systems for light and commercial EVs. Comparable to AEM through Dana's integrated e-axle products (e.g., the TRAKr-style concept AEM supplies into via SAF-Holland), though Dana is a broad incumbent versus AEM's motor-specialist focus.
• Mahle: German automotive supplier developing e-mobility solutions including rare-earth-free magnet-free traction motors and SCT (Superior Continuous Torque) technology. Comparable to AEM as a competing magnet-free EV motor specialist at much larger scale, supplying the same global OEM customers.
• ZF Friedrichshafen: Major German Tier 1 automotive supplier that has publicly developed rare-earth-free EV motors (e.g., for BMW) and offers a broad electric drivetrain portfolio. Comparable to AEM as a competing supplier of magnet-free traction motors to the same OEM customer base, but at much larger scale and with broader product lines.

Emerging players

• Hofer Powertrain: German engineering specialist developing electrified powertrains including rare-earth-free motor concepts and 800V drive units for automotive OEMs. Comparable to AEM as a focused EV drivetrain engineering firm competing for similar OEM development programmes.
• Renault (Ampere / EPT-100 motor): Renault's EPT-100 e-motor and E-Tech hybrid technology explicitly removes rare earths from the rotor, making it a comparable rare-earth-free EV motor effort. Direct competitor in the rare-earth-free motor space but vertically integrated within an OEM rather than a third-party supplier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/a_e_machines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advanced-electric-machines

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors10 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Advanced Electric Machines