Toyota Is Developing Electric Motors Without Rare Earth Metals
by Ami Cholia - January 18, 2011
alttransport.com
As a way to circumvent a short supply of rare-earth metals that are required to build electric motors for hybrid and electric cars, Toyota announced that it is developing an alternative motor that doesn’t need rare-earth minerals.
Bloomberg reports, “The motor could help cut Toyota’s dependence on rare-earth materials from China, which controls more than 90 percent of the global market for the metals. China’s government cut export quotas for the first half of 2011 by 35 percent last month. That follows a 72 percent reduction in the second half of 2010, causing the price of some of the metals to more than double.”
These “induction motors” will also be lighter and more efficient than the magnet-type motor now used in hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius.
“It’s a long-term approach,” John Hanson, the company’s spokesperson told Bloomberg. “When you’re looking at a geopolitical issue like rare-earth supply, that can lead to developments that create very good solutions.”
Currently the Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt, Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius all use rare-earth minerals such as neodymium and dysprosium in their motors.
Although Toyota’s 2012 battery-powered RAV4, which will use a Tesla battery, will not use rare-earth minerals. Tesla’s Roadster and future Model S sedan use motors without rare-earth materials, as well.
The RAV4 EV motor is separate from Toyota’s next-generation electric motor project.
Considering hybrids and electric cars serve to reduce our dependence on oil, the move avoids the shift in dependence onto other depleting commodities. It also avoids China being able to control the price of batteries in EVs and hybrids — which are currently the most expensive parts of the car.
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