The advancements in electrical machines and power electronics technologies seem permitting to achieve the power density and efficiency levels required nowadays by the transportation sector. However, the reliability of components and of their production process is currently a challenge. This is especially true for electrical machines, whose winding processes are still far from obtaining the high levels of automation, programmability and repeatibility required by the transportation market. This article looks into hairpin windings and outlines a number of future [5]. Nevertheless, such new solutions often reflect on increased losses in cores and windings, with limited flexibility to suit the transportation production requirements. Hence, new winding concepts, and flexible and automatized manufacturing processes are required to mitigate these challenges, as EMs intended for transport applications require compact windings with high slot fill factor, low losses, high reliability, etc. This article further elaborates on the topics discussed in [5], first reviewing hairpin technologies with focus on the fill factor as a key enabler for power density, and then discussing their impact on AC losses,