Car Makers Aim to Break Free From China’s Rare Earth Grip
Automakers in the U.S. and Europe are scrambling to find alternatives to rare earth metals, which are crucial for electric car motors but heavily controlled by China. This scramble is driven by fears of supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions that could stifle the global shift towards EVs.Engineers at startups like Conifer in California are developing motors without using rare earth materials such as neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium, which have become critical components for electric vehicle production. These elements can be manipulated by China’s export policies, creating significant risks for automakers relying heavily on Chinese supplies.BMW is one company that has already made progress in this area, having introduced rare earth-free motors in some of its models. Other comp...
