Do car makers produce their own electric motors?

July 30, 2019September 21, 2023 Stephen Corby 9485 Views

Not usually.

Many brands buy motors from big automotive component suppliers such as ZF, Bosch and Continental.

Some design and manufacture their own motors. BMW is one of these.

And others collaborate closely with partners.

Jaguar, for example, designed the motors for its I-Pace. The British company holds patents for several features of these motors.

But a supplier called American Axle & Manufacturing worked with Jaguar to develop the motors for production. While this was done in Sweden, the motors are actually made at an AAM plant in Poland.

See all our frequently asked questions on electric cars.

Stephen Corby

Stephen is a former editor of both Wheels and Top Gear Australia magazines and has been writing about cars since Henry Ford was a boy. Initially an EV sceptic, he has performed a 180-degree handbrake turn and is now a keen advocate for electrification and may even buy a Porsche Taycan one day, if he wins the lottery. Twice.