UK developer wins £17m government grant to boost axial-flux motor plans
11 August 2026 
Turntide Technologies, a UK-based developer of electric motor, power electronics and energy storage technologies, has secured a £17m grant from the UK Government to accelerate volume production of its axial-flux motors through increased automation and innovation, helping it to meet a growing global demand for more efficient, high-performance powertrains.
In a match-funded project known as Project Supreme (Scale-Up of PRoduction of Electric Machines) , Turntide will automate critical, labour-intensive production processes such as winding, creating tooling components, and validating its products ready for volume manufacture. In the early stages of the 18-month project, the company says it will also register and deliver “breakthrough” intellectual property.
Turntide says that faster and more efficient manufacturing at scale will allow it to better serve OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) across a wider range of applications and volumes globally.
As part of the project, Turntide will expand the use of its Gateshead production and R&D campus, while re-establishing a dedicated component and validation facility in Cramlington, Northumberland. The project will secure jobs in North East England, while further enhancing workforce skills and development.
“Project Supreme is an important step in scaling next-generation electric motor technology production in the UK for the global market,” says Turntide Technologies CEO, Steve Hornyak. “By enabling high-volume axial-flux motor production through automation and overall cost reduction, we’re driving wider adoption of more efficient, lighter electric powertrains across automotive and industrial applications.”
Compared to conventional radial-flux designs, axial-flux motors need less space, weigh less, and deliver more power in a smaller package. But manufacturing challenges have historically made axial-flux motors more difficult and expensive to produce at scale, limiting their broader adoption. The project is intended to tackle some of these challenges.
Funding for the Turntide project is coming from the UK government’s £4bn Drive35 (Driving Research & Investment in Vehicle Electrification) programme, launched in July 2025 as part of its advanced manufacturing sector plan. The scale-up funding programme is being delivered by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) and Innovate UK. It underpins the UK’s commitment to a zero-emission future, offering grant funding for automotive R&D, scale-up and transformation in the period to 2035.
Turntide, originally based in California, expanded to the UK in 2021 when it acquired three motors and energy businesses based in the North East of England: Cramlington-based Avid Technology, which designed and manufactured powertrain components and systems for heavy-duty and high-performance electric and hybrid vehicles; Sunderland-based Hyperdrive Innovation, a manufacturer of energy storage systems for off-highway and material-handling vehicles, as well as stationary and portable energy storage systems; and the former engineering technical centre of BorgWarner, located in Gateshead. These businesses formed the basis for basis for a new UK division focusing on intelligent motor systems for commercial transport.
Turntide also has operations in Canada and India.
