Axial vs. Radial Flux Motors: The Case for Application-Specific Engineering

The electric motor industry is at an inflection point. While axial flux motors have long offered superior torque density and a compact, pancake-like form factor, they’ve remained largely confined to niche applications due to manufacturing complexity. A new article in Electric Hybrid Vehicle Technology explores how recent breakthroughs are finally unlocking axial flux potential—while radial designs continue to dominate where cost and scalability matter most.

The technical challenge has always centred on stator lamination. Andrew Cross, Chief Innovation Officer at Helix, explains that both motor types require perpendicular laminates to minimise energy losses. In radial flux motors, this is straightforward. But in axial flux, the circumferential orientation of laminates historically made production impractical—each laminate needed to be a custom hoop with a different diameter and circumference. The breakthrough? Producing axial flux stators as continuous coils that also function as separate laminates, enabling economical production at scale for the first time.

Yet the decision between axial and radial isn’t binary. Axial flux excels where packaging constraints and peak torque density are critical—e-axles, performance variants, and high-speed applications. Radial flux wins in high-volume, cost-sensitive segments with continuous power duty cycles. Advanced cooling solutions, magnet optimisation, and rare earth reduction strategies further differentiate the options. The real insight: there’s no universal motor. Success comes from specifying the right architecture for your specific application.

Read the full article: FLUX in: Manufacturing Breakthroughs and Advanced Cooling – Electric Hybrid Vehicle Technology Magazine, March 2026