Automakers Race to Cut Rare Earths from EV Motors Amid China's Dominance

Efforts to Develop Sustainable Alternatives Gain Momentum

Automakers and suppliers are racing to develop electric vehicle motors with little to no rare earth content, a sector dominated by China.
Companies like Tesla, General Motors, and Jaguar Land Rover are researching or have developed motors with low to zero rare earth content, such as magnet-free externally excited synchronous machines (EESMs).
German supplier ZF has developed an EESM motor that could be in production model EVs within two years.
Refining rare earths involves solvents and toxic waste that conflict with sustainability goals, prompting the drive for alternatives.
IDTechEx forecasts that rare-earth permanent magnet motors will lose some global market share over the next decade but still make up more than 70% as Chinese EV makers face no pressure to curtail their use.