Mercedes’ Yasa rolls into Bicester Motion with 88,000 sq ft prelet

Yasa, the electric motor specialist owned by Mercedes-Benz, has agreed to prelet 88,000 sq ft of space at Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire for its UK headquarters. The company, which was bought by Mercedes-Benz in 2021, has taken a 15-year lease on three connected buildings in the new Innovation Quarter on the 444-acre estate, which has a history of being home to automotive businesses. The Innovation Quarter is being funded by a £60m investment to deliver seven headquarters buildings with views across the airfield and will total 215,000 sq ft on completion. Yasa’s new HQ will form the first phase of the development. A reserved matters application has been submitted to Cherwell District Council with bespoke detailed designs, layout and landscaping. Construction is due to start on-site this summer, with practical completion targeted for spring 2025. The carbon-efficient buildings will target BREEAM Excellent certification and EPC A ratings. They will be prepared for solar panel installation and include dedicated ecology and biodiversity areas, green space amenities to promote staff health and wellbeing, and bicycle parking spaces. Yasa was founded in 2009, a spin-out from the University of Oxford, by founder and chief technology officer Tim Woolmer. In 2021, Yasa became a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, pioneering new electric drive technology for the whole Mercedes-Benz Group. The company’s axial flux technology is designed to be a more compact, lightweight, powerful and efficient alternative to the standard radial electric motors used in most electric vehicles today. Yasa employs more than 400 people across several sites in Oxfordshire, including teams in innovation, engineering, prototyping, operations and business support functions. Many of these teams will relocate to Bicester Motion in January 2026. Markus Keicher, chief executive officer at Yasa, 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. Bicester Motion is the right place for this, and we are excited about the next stage of our journey as part of Mercedes-Benz.” Daniel Geoghegan, founder and chief executive of Bicester Motion, said the prelet would be a catalyst for the delivery of its wider masterplan, including hotels and the Experience Quarter. Bicester Motion has also committed to significant infrastructure improvements, including cycle routes and connectivity to Bicester North station and the surrounding area. It is anticipated that more than 500 construction jobs will be created as result of the Innovation Quarter, which will enhance GVA to the local economy. Adalta Real represented Bicester Motion. Adalta Real and Bidwells are the commercial leasing agents. Images courtesy of Spacecraft PR