An electric motor specialist and Mercedes-Benz subsidiary will become the primary tenant of a Bicester venue.

YASA will be moving into the new Innovation Quarter at Bicester Motion.

The brand has signed a 15-year lease for three distinctly connected buildings intended to serve as the company's UK headquarters.

Bicester Motion’s new Innovation Quarter is a £60 million investment to boost future mobility discovery and will deliver seven headquarter buildings with views across the airfield and will total 215,000 sq ft.

YASA stared in 2009 as a spinoff venture from the University of Oxford and has led the charge in advancing electric propulsion with its axial flux technology.

Normal radial electric motors, used in most electric vehicles today, pale in comparison to this compact, lightweight, high-powered and more efficient alternative.

As a wholly-owned Mercedes-Benz subsidiary since 2021, YASA has been instrumental to the technology strategy of the automaker.

YASA's new headquarters will cover 88,000 sq ft across three interconnected buildings.

The site will have a focus on carbon efficiency and is set to feature solar PV technology creation, green space amenities, designated ecology and biodiversity areas, and bicycle parking.

YASA's chief executive officer, Markus Keicher, said: "Having grown out of an Oxford University PhD in 2009, YASA’s home has always been in Oxfordshire.

"It is important for the company and staff that YASA maintains a strong foothold in the area, which is seen as a heartland of automotive technology in the UK.

"In order to meet the next stage of YASA’s growth, we need a new facility that matches our ambition and Bicester Motion is the right place for this and we are excited for the next stage of our journey as part of Mercedes-Benz."

Daniel Geoghegan, chief executive of Bicester Motion, said: "This is significant news for not just Bicester Motion but also the town, Oxfordshire and UK PLC that pioneering electric motor specialist YASA has chosen Bicester Motion for their new HQ as they continue accelerating their business.

"Their new headquarters will form a focal point for our latest phase of construction to showcase their impressive sustainable advanced technology innovation and secure local training and jobs."

Construction of the new buildings is set to commence in the summer, with a completion date set for spring next year.

Once finished, many of YASA's more than 400 staff members spread across Oxfordshire, spanning differing roles from innovation and engineering to prototyping and business support, will relocate to Bicester Motion by January 2026.

The development will substantially boost the local economy, with Bicester Motion committing to considerable infrastructure improvements.

More than 500 construction jobs are projected to be generated by the Innovation Quarter project.