Dr. Mahir Alani
Co-Founder and CTO
Cooled Motors
Dr. Mahir Alani is an electric machine designer with over 15 years of experience developing advanced motors across a range of applications, with a strong focus on automotive traction systems. His designs are deployed by many OEMs including Mazda, PACCAR, and BAE Systems.
Mahir’s journey in electric motors began at the University of Sheffield in 2009, where for his final-year project he designed and built a direct-drive motor for mobility applications. This work led to a PhD at the same institution, where he developed variable flux motor design for automotive traction. During his time in academia, he collaborated with leading industrial partners such as Cummins and BorgWarner, tackling key challenges in rare-earth reduction, flux optimisation, and thermal performance.
He later joined Continental AG, where he spent four years developing high-performance electric motors for niche and racing applications, pushing the boundaries of efficiency and power density. He then moved to Nidec Corporation, contributing to the development of heavy-duty and off-road traction motors.
Mahir is now Co-Founder and CTO of Cooled Motors, where he is leading the development of next-generation magnetless motor technologies aimed at transforming the cost, efficiency, and scalability of electric propulsion systems.
2026 Event Agenda Sessions
Low Cost Magnetless Motors Without Power Density and Performance Compromises
The majority of electric motors today rely on rare-earth permanent magnets. They are the closest thing to free energy but at the cost of expensive materials, supply chain dependence on China, and long-term resource constraints.
Wednesday 20 May 14:20 - 14:35 Innovation Zone
Innovation Zone Europe/Madrid
