Factbox: The automakers and suppliers pushing to cut rare earths from EVs

Vitesco Technologies AG

14/11/2023 06:00

LONDON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - A growing number of
automakers and suppliers are working on electric vehicle (EV)
motors that either do not contain rare earths or dramatically
reduce the use of materials that are dominated by China.
    
    Here is a list of some of the products automakers and
suppliers are working on or have completed as part of this
process:
    
    TESLA  TSLA.O 
    Tesla initially used induction motors without rare earth
permanent magnets, but switched to a permanent magnet motor for
the mass-market Model 3 in 2017.
    The world's largest EV maker said earlier this year that it
has cut heavy rare earths by 25% per vehicle and aims to go
rare-earth free in its next-generation EV models.
    
    BMW  BMWG.DE  
    BMW uses no rare earth permanent magnets today and has
developed a magnet-free externally excited synchronous machine
(EESM), which generates a magnetic field using electric current,
  that will be included in all of its next-generation EVs.
    
    GENERAL MOTORS  GM.N  
    The No. 1 U.S. automaker says it is "exploring options to
limit or potentially eliminate rare earth materials in EV
motors." 
    The company has also just invested in Niron Magnetics, a
startup developing permanent magnets without rare earths,
alongside rival automaker Stellantis  STLAM.MI . Volvo Cars
 VOLCARb.ST  is also an investor in Niron.
    
    BORGWARNER  BWA.N 
    The U.S. supplier already has an EV motor in production that
has reduced heavy rare earth content. The company also has an EV
motor in development that is rare earth free.
    
    JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR)
    The luxury unit of Tata Motors  TAMO.NS  is exploring using
two motors on its next-generation EVs, one with rare earths and
one without, to reduce its rare earth content per vehicle.
    
    ZF  ZFF.UL 
    German supplier ZF has developed an EESM EV motor that could
be in production in two years. The company is in talks to supply
European, U.S. and Chinese automakers.
    
    VITESCO  VTSCn.DE 
    German supplier Vitesco previously produced an EESM EV motor
for Renault  RENA.PA  and has developed a new version that
should be on the market in 2026. 
    The company is also working on rare earth free permanent
magnets. 
    
    RENAULT
    Renault used a Vitesco EESM EV motor in its Zoe and Kangoo
models from 2011 to 2019 and is working on a rare-earth free EV
motor with Valeo  VLOF.PA  that should go into production in
2027. A Renault spokesperson said "things continue to progress
well" in the joint project. 
    
    NISSAN  7201.T 
    Nissan has developed an EESM EV motor for its Ariya
crossover and is pursuing a dual strategy of EESM motors and
gradually cutting rare earths out of permanent magnet motors.
    
    MERCEDES-BENZ  MBGn.DE 
    Mercedes has reduced the heavy rare earth content in its
next-generation MMA EV platform to "close to 0%." The German
premium automaker says it aims to remove heavy rare earth
content entirely.
    
    TOYOTA  7203.T 
    Toyota is working on a permanent magnet with a 50% reduction
in neodymium, a heavy rare earth.
    
    BENTLEY 
    The luxury British unit of Volkswagen  VOWG_p.DE  has been
researching a motor with rare-earth free magnets and the
automaker said it remains "very much committed" to the project.
    
    MARELLI
    Auto parts maker Marelli, owned by U.S. fund KKR  KKR.N ,
says it is "exploring the use of alternative materials for
electric motors to meet (automakers') requirements for
magnet-free motors," including "evaluating" EESM motors.
    
    EuroGroup Laminations  EGLA.MI 
Electric motor component maker EuroGroup Laminations is working
on both rare earth free permanent magnet motors and motors with
limited rare earth content for automaker customers.
 

    

 (Reporting By Nick Carey; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
 ((nick.carey@thomsonreuters.com; +44 7385 414 954;))