Asian OEM commissions UK-developed aluminium motor technology for passenger vehicle integration
A major Asian automotive manufacturer has commissioned Newcastle-based Advanced Electric Machines (AEM)[1] to evaluate its aluminium-wound electric motor technology for potential integration into high-volume vehicle platforms. The contract represents a significant commercial validation of alternative motor winding materials as OEMs seek to reduce exposure to copper supply chain vulnerabilities. With approximately 50% of global copper refining capacity concentrated in a single region, automotive manufacturers are actively exploring technology pathways that offer greater supply diversification.
The UK Government's Critical Minerals Strategy (November 2025)[2] validates these concerns, projecting copper demand to increase from 922,200 tonnes in 2027 to 3,619,000 tonnes by 2035, nearly doubling over the period. The strategy identifies copper supply chain concentration as a strategic vulnerability and commits up to GBP50m to support innovation that delivers supply chain diversification. AEM's technology replaces conventional copper windings with compressed aluminium conductors, leveraging aluminium's established global supply infrastructure and reduced geopolitical concentration risk.
The approach maintains power density performance while delivering operational efficiency gains through electrodynamic performance characteristics that contribute to reduced energy consumption per kilometre. James Widmer, CEO of Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), said: "OEMs are evaluating motor technologies not just on performance metrics, but on strategic supply chain resilience. Our aluminium winding architecture addresses critical sourcing vulnerabilities while delivering measurable efficiency improvements and enhanced end-of-life recyclability."
The commercial engagement follows Advanced Electric Machines (AEM)'s recent tier 1 supplier agreement for its rare-earth-free SSRD motor technology, indicating growing industry momentum toward materials diversification in electric drivetrain components.
Manufacturing advantages
AEM's compressed aluminium winding technology delivers several engineering benefits over conventional copper designs. The material availability advantage is significant: aluminium refining capacity is geographically distributed across multiple regions, reducing single-source supply chain exposure that has become a strategic concern for automotive manufacturers.
Manufacturing flexibility improves through lower material costs and established aluminium processing infrastructure, enabling more diverse supplier qualification. Operational efficiency gains are achieved through enhanced thermal performance characteristics that contribute to reduced energy consumption per kilometre.
End-of-life processing advantages include clean separation of aluminium and steel components, which enables higher-value material recovery without metallurgical contamination. The circular economy benefits are also substantial: recycled aluminium requires 95% less processing energy than primary production, supporting automotive manufacturers' Scope 3 emissions reduction targets.
Supply chain resilience driving technology adoption
The automotive industry's increasing focus on supply chain resilience reflects multiple strategic concerns. Copper price volatility has introduced significant cost uncertainty into electric motor bill-of-materials, while geopolitical factors affecting mineral processing capacity create potential production continuity risks.
Alternative motor winding materials offer manufacturers strategic optionality in component sourcing, potentially enabling parallel supply chain development and reducing dependency on single-material architectures. Widmer added: "UK engineering innovation is providing automotive manufacturers with technically validated alternatives to conventional motor designs. This partnership demonstrates that supply chain diversification and performance optimisation are not mutually exclusive objectives."
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References
- ^ Advanced Electric Machines (AEM) (advancedelectricmachines.com)
- ^ UK Government's Critical Minerals Strategy (November 2025) (www.gov.uk)
- ^ Innovation (www.themanufacturer.com)