Aclara Resources, a development-stage company that focuses on heavy rare earth mineral resources, has started the continuous operation of its newly constructed pilot plant for the Penco Module near Concepcion, Chile. The company produced the first sample of high purity Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) concentrate after a successful commissioning... Read more →

Nidec Corporation and Renesas Electronics Corporation agreed to join forces on the development of semiconductor solutions for a next-generation E-Axle (X-in-1 system) that integrates an EV drive motor and power electronics for electric vehicles (EVs). The 3-in-1 unit E-Axle integrates a motor, inverter, and gearbox (reduction gear). To realize high-performance... Read more →

The US Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) announced up to $10 million in funding to develop novel manufacturing technologies for superconducting tapes. (DE-FOA-0002784 Modification 06) Enabling widely available low-cost, high-performance superconducting (HTS) tapes could help enable the market growth and proliferation of nuclear fusion, superconducting... Read more →

A group of industrial stakeholders, including the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, have sent President Biden a letter urging “your administration to make it clear that electrical steel is critical to the national and economic security of the United States and to prioritize actions that will create a sustainable supply.” Electrical... Read more →

Equipmake, a UK developer and manufacturer of electrification products for battery-electric vehicle drivetrains, will be showcasing its Ampere-220 e-axle system—a compact, lightweight, high-power electric drive system for manufacturers of high-performance EVs—at Battery Show Europe this week. Combining 3D-printed electric motors with all power electronics, including the company’s own silicon carbide... Read more →

Following a latent demand pop in 2021 that saw the materialization of some pent-up demand from the year prior, Adamas Intelligence data indicates that global consumption of NdFeB magnets increased just 1.9% year-over-year in 2022, suppressed by global economic headwinds and regional pandemic-related challenges. Now, in its latest annual report... Read more →

In association with researchers from the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and analysts at mining consultancy Weir International, metallurgical coal producer Ramaco Resources released an independent Exploration Target report with technical assessment of rare earth elements (REE) found at its Brook Mine in Wyoming. Following eighteen months... Read more →

BMW i Ventures announced an investment in Canada-based Cyclic Materials, a circular supply chain company focused on recycling rare earth elements (REE) (earlier post). The $27-million Series A funding was led by BMW i Ventures (BiV) and Energy Impact Partners (EIP), and included participation from Fifth Wall, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada... Read more →

A new €4-million research project funded by the EU is seeking to develop a lower-cost, more efficient and power-dense permanent magnet eMotor for electric vehicles (EVs). The consortium of eight European partners in the HEFT project is led by Mondragan University and includes GKN Automotive. HEFT considers that an energy-efficient... Read more →

ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) division announced that its new CeTrax lite electric central drive has entered series production. Using synergies from ZF’s development and production of passenger car drives, the new driveline is adapted to use in light commercial vehicles (LCVs). Designed as a highly integrated electric drive, CeTrax... Read more →

Volkswagen is launching the next electric drive generation for the ID. family. The new APP550 rear-wheel drive units will offer higher performance combined with improved efficiency for the ID. models. The ID. family will therefore benefit both in terms of power and increased range. Volkswagen is planning to deliver the... Read more →

Arnold Magnetic Technologies, a subsidiary of Compass Diversified and global manufacturer of high-performance magnets and more for mission critical applications, is partnering with Cyclic Materials, a pioneer in developing more sustainable domestic supply chains for rare earth elements. Arnold and Cyclic will work together to develop a rare earth recycling... Read more →

Rio Tinto and First Quantum Minerals (FQM) have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture that will work to unlock the development of the La Granja copper project in Cajamarca, Northern Peru, one of the largest undeveloped copper resources in the world. Source: FQM La Granja is a... Read more →

E-Tech Resources, a rare earth exploration and development company developing its Eureka Rare Earths Project in Namibia, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire an 85% interest in exclusive prospecting license 8748 (EPL 8748). EPL 8748 is located in the Erongo Mining Corridor of Namibia which lies adjacent to,... Read more →

Schaeffler has begun production of its electric wheel hub motors; three manufacturers of compact municipal vehicles are gearing up to incorporate the motors into their production lines in the coming months. All the components needed for propulsion and braking are integrated directly into the wheel rim, rather than being positioned... Read more →

United States Steel Corporation announced that its new electrical steel product, InduX, will begin production at its Big River Steel facility in the summer of 2023 with the commissioning of its new non-grain oriented (NGO) electrical steel line. InduX electrical steel is a very wide, ultra-thin, and light-weight steel, having... Read more →

China-based Dongfeng Motor (DFM) has launched two new passenger cars powered by ProteanDrive Pd18 in-wheel motors. The two models were showcased at a ceremony in Wuxi, held by DFM and Weifu Electric Drive Technology (WFDT)—the joint venture between Weifu and Protean Electric (earlier post). Unveiled at the event was the... Read more →

BMW i Ventures announced a co-lead investment in the $16.1-million Series A round for startup DeepDrive. DeepDrive has developed a cost- and resource-efficient dual-rotor motor, extending the range of electric vehicles. Other investors include UVC Partners, Bayern Kapital with Wachstumsfonds Bayern, and Continental’s Corporate Venture Capital Unit. The company is... Read more →

CISSOID and Silicon Mobility have partnered to introduce a complete and modular Silicon Carbide (SiC) inverter reference design, providing customers with an innovative and customizable solution for electric motor drives up to 350kW/850V. The reference design includes a high voltage SiC-based power module, integrated Gate Driver board, Control board, DC... Read more →

The Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University has successfully completed the anfaHair research project after two years. The goal of the project, which was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, was to make the production of new types of electric motors... Read more →

Aluminum is a critical element used in thousands of important products, but it can often interfere with quick and effective extraction of valuable rare earth elements (REEs) from coal waste byproducts. Because aluminum interferes with the recovery of REEs from some sources, NETL researchers developed an effective, renewable, technology that... Read more →

Nissan unveiled its new approach to electrified powertrain development, which it calls “X-in-1”. Under the approach, core EV and e-POWER powertrain components will be shared and modularized, resulting in a 30% reduction, compared to 2019, in development and manufacturing costs by 2026. Through the X-in-1 approach, Nissan aims to increase... Read more →

Australia-based Lynas Rare Earths Limited has signed new agreements with Japan Australia Rare Earths B.V. (JARE). The new agreements will further strengthen the Lynas balance sheet and support funding of capital projects designed to meet accelerating global demand for rare earth materials. JARE was co-founded in 2011 by Sojitz Corporation... Read more →

Lamborghini has provided the first details of its first HPEV (High Performance Electrified Vehicle) hybrid super sports car, codenamed LB744, which will make its debut shortly.The LB744 features an all-new architecture with new powertrain tnat delivers 1015 CV in total, combining the power of a new 12-cylinder internal combustion engine... Read more →

The Department of Energy (DOE) is funding six research and development projects that will repurpose domestic coal resources for high-value graphitic products and carbon-metal composites that can be employed in clean energy technologies. (Earlier post.) Ohio University’s Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment was awarded two of the six... Read more →

H3X Technologies announced the completion of an investment by Lockheed Martin Ventures (LMV), the venture arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation. H3X designs and manufactures advanced electric motors to enable sustainable aviation and other high-performance applications. This latest funding brings the total raised by H3X to $9 million. The investment will... Read more →

Stellantis will invest a total of $155 million in three Kokomo, Indiana, plants to produce new electric drive modules (EDM) that will help power future electric vehicles assembled in North America and to support the goal of 50% battery-electric sales in the US by 2030. With more than 25 battery-electric... Read more →

US-based MP Materials Corp. and Sumitomo Corporation announced an agreement to diversify and strengthen rare earth supplies in Japan. Under the agreement, SC will serve as the exclusive distributor of NdPr oxide produced by MP Materials to Japanese customers. Further, the companies will collaborate on the supply of rare earth... Read more →

Nidec Leroy-Somer has signed an agreement with Airbus to develop an electric motor for Airbus’ hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine prototype, as part of Airbus’ ambition to bring the first zero-emission commercial aircraft to market by 2035. (Earlier post.) Image of the AIrbus fuel cell demonstrator engine Leroy-Somer, part of the... Read more →

MagREEsource, a 2020 spin-off of the CNRS-Institut Néel that is commercializing processes for recycling rare-earth magnets and then remanufacturing new magnets from the recycled powders, has secured €5 million in financing and has opened its first pilot facility in Grenoble, with a capacity of 50 tons by 2023. This first... Read more →

JFE Steel Corporation, which is expanding the electrical steel sheet capacity of its West Japan Works (Kurashiki Area) for startup targeted at the first half of the fiscal year starting in April 2024, is now planning an additional expansion targeted at a startup in the fiscal year beginning April 2026.... Read more →

In 2022, Adamas Intelligence calculated that $3.8 billion worth of magnet rare earth oxides—i.e., NdPr, Dy and Tb oxides—were consumed globally in NdFeB alloys for energy-transition-related applications, including EV traction motors and wind power generators. The total value of rare earth oxides consumed for the energy transition each year quadrupled... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Final Determination under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) that blocks the development of Northern Dynasty Mineral’s proposed Pebble copper and gold mining project in Alaska. The ruling prohibits certain waters in the South Fork Koktuli River and North Fork... Read more →

Israel-based EVR Motors has signed an agreement with RSB Group, one of India’s Tier-1 automotive suppliers. The agreement with RSB is EVR’s fourth commercial agreement in India signed during the past eight months. Other agreements are in place with Badve Group, Napino, and, most recently, EKA Mobility. Each of the... Read more →

In the first half of 2022, motors with oil cooling became the dominant form in the electric car market, taking 50% market share, according to a report from IDTechEx. The downside of oil cooling is the addition of extra components and typically, the water-glycol circuit still exists to remove the... Read more →

Polestar is giving the 5-door electric performance fastback, Polestar 2, a major update. For the 2024 model year, the premium compact EV features a new high-tech front end that reflects the design language premiered by Polestar 3, substantial performance increases with all-new electric motors, even more powerful batteries, sustainability improvements... Read more →

Sweden-based international mining and minerals group LKAB has identified significant deposits of rare earth elements in the Kiruna area in the far north of Swedish Lapland (some 200 km north of the Arctic Circle). Following successful exploration, the company is reporting mineral resources of rare earth metals in the Per... Read more →

Shenge, a China-based developer, producer, and supplier of rare earth products, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australia-based rare-earths miner VHM to purchase 6,400 tpa of rare earth mineral concentrate (REMC) and 100,000 tpa of zircon/titania heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) products for each calendar year of the three-year... Read more →

Infinitum, creator of the air core motor (earlier post), introduced Aircore Mobility, a next-generation, axial flux propulsion and traction motor designed to sustainably power passenger and commercial electric vehicles, as well as aviation, marine, construction, agricultural machines and auxiliary applications. The Aircore Mobility motor delivers high power and torque density... Read more →

Cleveland-Cliffs is introducing the MOTOR-MAX product line of non-oriented electrical steels for high frequency motors and generators in the North American market. MOTOR-MAX High Frequency Non-Oriented Electrical Steels (HF NOES) are designed for high speed motors (operating at frequencies above 60 Hz), electric vehicle (EV) traction motors, aircraft generators and... Read more →

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has started production of its 5th-generation hybrid powertrains for the new Corolla. The latest Toyota hybrid electric low-emission powertrains will be made at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP) and Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) for the new Corollas manufactured at TMUK and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey... Read more →

Hitachi Metals has verified in simulations that by optimizing the design of motors that use its high-performance ferrite magnet NMF 15 (hereinafter “ferrite magnet motors” earlier post), they are able to achieve the same level of output as traction motors for xEV that use neodymium magnets. Ferrite magnet motors do... Read more →

In addition to conventional drive units and components, the Mercedes-Benz Stuttgart-Untertürkheim plant is already responsible for the production of batteries and axles for plug-in hybrids and fully electric Mercedes-EQ models. The production and assembly of electric drive units from 2024 onwards was part of the plant’s vision for the future... Read more →

UK-based Electrified Automation has been awarded £6 million (US$7.4 million) in government funding to further develop its innovative process for manufacturing electric motors that are more cost-competitive, powerful and efficient than many of the products currently available in the marketplace. The grant was awarded through the Advanced Propulsion Center (APC)... Read more →

With the continued global turmoil experienced over the past few years, the prices of almost everything are rising. This has been especially true for the rare earth materials used in the manufacturing of electric motors for electric vehicles (EVs). The price of neodymium has remained fairly constant from 2013-2020, but... Read more →

Through its venture capital fund BMW i Ventures, the BMW Group has taken a stake in Colorado-based Jetti Resources. Founded in 2014, Jetti Resources has developed a pioneering process for copper extraction that utilizes previously unused ore from existing copper mines. BMW’s goal is to foster responsible and resource-conserving copper... Read more →

ABB has secured its first order from COSCO Shipping, China’s largest shipping company, for in-line permanent magnet shaft generator systems. Compared with traditional diesel generator sets (single unit), the permanent magnet shaft generator system will yield fuel savings of up to 17%. Permanent magnet shaft generators are small, light, and... Read more →

Niron Magnetics, a developer of high-performance, rare earth-free permanent magnets (earlier post), announced that the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) has awarded the company a $17.5-million grant as part of its Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy technologies with Untapped Potential (SCALEUP) program.... Read more →

Mazda Motor Corporation is planning to complete the electrification of all vehicle models by 2030 and is currently working together with various partner companies on a range of electrification-related research projects that are also designed to stimulate the local economy and contribute to the development of local industry and innovation.... Read more →

ZF is presenting new electric drives for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. This latest generation of e-drives advances power density and energy efficiency due to numerous innovations at both the component and system level. These include the compact design of the drives, power electronics, and a resource-saving use of... Read more →