Key Points
- Oxa, spun out of the University of Oxford's Robotics Institute in 2014, was the first UK company to test self-driving vehicles on public roads.
- YASA, acquired by Mercedes-Benz in 2021, opened a new axial-flux motor super factory in Oxfordshire in 2025.
- YASA's spinout Evolito is applying the same motor technology to electric flight.
Oxfordshire's future mobility credentials rest on two University of Oxford-spun-out companies that have each gone on to secure major global automotive partnerships.
Oxa: autonomy for industrial and logistics fleets
Oxa, spun out of the University of Oxford's Robotics Institute in 2014, develops autonomous vehicle software for industrial and logistics use, and was the first UK company to test self-driving vehicles on public roads.
YASA and Evolito: electric drive from road to air
YASA, founded at Oxford in 2009 and acquired by Mercedes-Benz in 2021, opened a new axial-flux motor “super factory” in Oxfordshire in 2025 following its 2024 electric drive partnership with Lamborghini. Its spinout Evolito is now applying the same motor technology to electric flight.
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UK Inward Investment Guides: Oxfordshire
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