Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), a UK-based electric drive manufacturer with a primary focus on the automotive industry, has successfully secured £23 million in new investment. The capital infusion aims to facilitate the scaling up of production at AEM’s facility in Northeast UK, supporting the company’s growth plans to establish a global sales footprint and enhance research and development capabilities. Notably, AEM’s motor technologies eliminate the need for rare earth metals in electric vehicle (EV) drive systems.
The allocated funds will contribute to expanding production capacity at the Northeast UK facility, with the creation of 40 new skilled green jobs over the next two years. Additionally, AEM aims to establish a global sales and service presence, expediting the deployment of its electric drive solutions. The HDSRM motor, designed for commercial vehicles, is already in production and use in customer vehicles across the UK, Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region.
AEM’s plans also include accelerating the development of its SSRD passenger vehicle drive system, initially developed with support from Innovate UK, the Advanced Propulsion Centre, and collaborative efforts with academic and automotive partners, including Bentley. The company intends to bring its copper-free motor into production, a move that is expected to enhance recyclability and align with AEM’s goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable electric motor manufacturer.
James Widmer, CEO and co-founder of Advanced Electric Machines, expressed confidence in the funding announcement, stating, “It is a vote of confidence from the market in our vision, our technical capabilities, and our mission to rid EV motors of harmful and problematic materials.”
Steven Poulter, Head of Principal Structuring and Investments at Barclays, emphasized AEM’s contribution to addressing a key challenge in the EV market, stating, “AEM is solving a fundamental constraint of the EV market – the reliance on rare earth metals for motors – which causes significant cost and supply chain challenges. By producing motors that don’t rely on these metals, AEM is able to remove the key barriers to the production and subsequent adoption of EVs.”
Founded in 2017 as a spin-off from Newcastle University’s electric motor research team, AEM, led by CEO Dr. James Widmer and CTO Dr. Andy Steven, currently holds 46 international patents for drive designs and manufacturing processes.
