China has achieved the world's first mass production of axial flux motors, putting the country at the forefront of the next-generation electric drive industry globally.

China has achieved the world's first mass production of axial flux motors, taking the lead in the next-generation electric drive industry worldwide.

The new motor boasts a power density of 25.73kW/kg, a rated speed of 18,000 rpm and a 50% reduction in self-weight.

A single figure may not impress many, but the combination of these indicators tells a different story. This is more than just another technological breakthrough. China has successfully industrialized axial flux motors, a technology long confined to laboratories, and brought it to full-scale production lines for the next-generation electric drive sector.

On June 5, news emerged from Jinhua, Zhejiang Province that Pan-Gu Power, in collaboration with the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has made a key breakthrough in high-performance axial flux motors. The development of customized magnetic steel has greatly lifted technical performance. More importantly, instead of merely publishing research papers or developing prototypes, a large manufacturing base with an annual capacity of 300,000 motor sets has been completed and put into operation in Lanxi.

This marks a fundamental shift in the industry landscape.

For years, numerous countries and enterprises have been researching axial flux motors. Well-known brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Renault have rolled out prototypes and showcased conceptual designs. Nevertheless, most of them remain stuck in small-batch trial production and technical verification, held back by high costs. By launching full-scale production lines first, China has secured a leading position in this field.

Never underestimate the significance of mass production.

Running a motor in a laboratory and manufacturing it steadily on the production floor are two entirely different things. Producing a single unit is nowhere near the challenge of manufacturing 300,000 sets annually. It requires breakthroughs in materials, manufacturing techniques, yield rates, cost control and supply chain management — any of these links can become a huge obstacle for enterprises.

The concept of axial flux motors is by no means new.

Back in 1821, Michael Faraday invented the first electric motor with a disc structure, which adopted the axial flux principle. Magnetic flux travels along the axial direction, forming the embryonic form of today’s axial flux motor. However, limited by immature materials and manufacturing technologies at that time, the promising design failed to be widely applied. Later, radial flux motors dominated the industry for over a century thanks to mature craftsmanship and practical structure.

Now the tide is turning.

The booming new energy vehicles, robots and low-altitude aircraft have raised higher requirements for power systems. Apart from basic operation, power units need to be lighter, thinner and more efficient, while capable of enduring high speed, high temperature and continuous operation. Traditional motor structures can hardly meet such demands, creating great opportunities for axial flux motors.

Unlike conventional cylindrical motors, axial flux motors are assembled with stacked disc components, featuring a flat and compact structure. This structural innovation brings all-round performance improvements.

Under the same operating performance, the motor cuts self-weight, axial dimension and consumption of key metal materials by around 50% respectively. Its shorter magnetic flux path reduces core loss and improves overall efficiency. With the same outer diameter, its power density reaches 3 times that of traditional radial flux motors, and torque density is approximately doubled.

This is not a simple technical optimization, but a complete revolution for the power drive industry.

Despite its outstanding advantages, the technology failed to gain popularity for decades, blocked by three major bottlenecks: advanced materials, precision manufacturing and cost control. Magnetic steel is the biggest challenge. Conventional magnetic steel tends to suffer from demagnetization, performance attenuation and instability under the high-speed, high-temperature and high-load working conditions of axial flux motors.

This is exactly where our latest breakthrough lies.

We have developed exclusive PGH high-performance magnetic steel. Rather than applying existing materials blindly, the new material is tailor-made to match the operational characteristics of axial flux motors. The perfect combination of specialized materials and optimized structure enables further upgrades in power density, rotational speed and durability.

The test results are remarkable.

The effective power density hits 25.73kW/kg, exceeding the 2040 target set in Technology Roadmap for Energy-Saving and New Energy Vehicles (Version 3.0) by 42.94%. In short, we have achieved technical goals that were once expected to be reached decades later.

The maximum speed of 18,000 rpm delivers strong performance in high-speed cruising, rapid acceleration and long-duration continuous operation. For new energy vehicles, it optimizes the power system in terms of space, weight and efficiency. For robots, the upgraded motors provide stronger joint power, more flexible movement and larger load capacity. For low-altitude aircraft, the reduced size and weight make a critical difference in installation feasibility and flight stability.

The practical value is evident.

The new energy vehicle industry has long been in fierce competition, focusing on batteries, 800V high-voltage platforms, thermal management and intelligent driving. Now the industry realizes that further weight reduction and efficiency improvement of electric drives can solve many existing problems for complete vehicles. It allows more flexible chassis layout, extra cabin space, lower energy consumption and longer driving range.

Some manufacturers stated that this type of motor can reduce the vehicle’s Y-direction dimension by 50%. This is far more than a theoretical advantage for engineers. Every centimeter inside a vehicle involves trade-offs among design, comfort, crash safety and cost. Saved space brings greater competitiveness.

The same applies to the robotics sector.

Humanoid robots have drawn wide attention, yet stable long-term operation remains a tough challenge. Robots with insufficient torque density tend to have unstable movements, poor load-bearing capacity and excessive wear during frequent start-stop cycles. Our motor assembly achieves a torque density of 293N·m/kg, a 22% increase over mainstream competing products. This progress brings practical, usable robots one step closer to reality.

Furthermore, this breakthrough means far more than a single motor product.

It represents the full industrial chain breakthrough covering basic theories, core materials, precision manufacturing, production equipment and large-scale product delivery. The research initiative launched in 2018 has finally landed on mass production lines after years of persistent efforts.

Chinese manufacturing has undergone tremendous changes in recent years. We no longer merely follow others or rely on low-cost production. Instead, we are gaining the right to set industry standards in many key fields — just as we did with batteries, photovoltaic products and new energy vehicles. Now electric drives are embracing the same trend.

Whoever masters core materials will hold the key to the upper reaches of the industrial chain.

Whoever takes the lead in realizing mass production will gain the initiative to formulate industry standards.

Many people only focus on individual trending tech news, while the whole industrial chain behind it is more worthy of attention. Motors are not isolated components; they are closely linked to rare earth magnetic materials, high-end equipment, new energy vehicles, robots and the low-altitude economy. Today’s breakthrough in electric drives will drive comprehensive upgrades for vehicle architecture, industrial automation and aircraft power solutions in the future. That is where its long-term potential lies.

Interestingly, the prototype of this technology dates back more than 200 years. After twists and turns, China is the first to realize its large-scale industrial application. It is not the ones who first proposed the concept or made conceptual presentations, but those who integrate materials, craftsmanship and large-scale manufacturing capabilities that claim the final victory.

In the later stage of global technological competition, empty research statements mean little.

The real competition lies in manufacturing capability: the ability to produce products at low cost, the ability to maintain stable production quality, and the ability to turn lab prototypes into practical equipment installed in vehicles, robot joints and future aircraft.

Huiyu Industry also believes in this philosophy.