Cyclic Materials, an advanced metals recycling company building a circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical metals, has expanded its operations to accept two new feedstock streams: wind turbine generators and MRI machines. Through its strong partnership network, Cyclic has already sourced 37 MW capacity of wind... Read more →

Researchers at McGill University have developed a sustainable and cost-effective neodymium (Nd) extraction technology from electronic waste using a carboxylate functionalized nanocellulose (CFNC). An open-access paper on their work is published in the RSC journal Green Chemistry. We demonstrate a solution-processed synthesis of CFNC from a cost-effective, readily available cellulose... Read more →

Australia-based Hastings Technology Metals Limited has entered into a binding term sheet providing for an integrated tolling and offtake arrangement for rare earth concentrate with Baotou Sky Rock Rare Earth New Material Co., Ltd, supporting improved economics for Stage 1 of its 100%-owned Yangibana Rare Earths Project. The Yangibana Project... Read more →

Niron Magnetics, a company developing high-performance, rare earth-free permanent magnets, (earlier post), has received $25 million in new strategic funding in a round led by Samsung Ventures. Allison Ventures, the venture capital arm of Allison Transmission, was also part of this funding round, along with one of the world’s largest... Read more →

Honda Marine, a division of Honda Power Sports & Products and marketer of a complete range of four-stroke marine outboard motors from 2.3 to 350 horsepower, outlined how the company is advancing its mission to expand mobility on the water—capitalizing on the technology of Honda worldwide. A team of Honda... Read more →

Preparations for the production of the next generation of electric motors, the MEBeco (Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten, modular electric drive concept), have begun at Audi’s plant in Győr, Hungary. The virtual design of the production lines is underway and the first production equipment for the future production of the transmission components have... Read more →

Proterial, Ltd. (formerly Hitachi Metals) has developed a laminated bonded amorphous alloy ribbon for motor cores. Amorphous alloys—metals that do not have a crystallone structure due to being formed by cooling molten alloy rapidly—are a low-loss material and are considered to be suitable for high-efficiency motors. However, because of their... Read more →

Magna has been awarded a contract to supply a North America-based OEM with a specialized primary rear eDrive system for one of the company’s high-end niche vehicle platforms. The award reinforces Magna’s commitment to supporting the automotive industry’s short and long-term transformational needs. The complex system will be a variant... Read more →

Wright Electric, a developer of electric propulsion systems for regional aircraft (earlier post), successfully tested its motor in the Wright Lab at a simulated atmosphere equivalent to 43,000 feet of altitude without Partial Discharge (PD). Conducted at 1,000 volts, this test sets the stage for simulated altitude testing at the... Read more →

DG Innovate, an advanced research and development company pioneering sustainable and environmentally considerate improvements to electric mobility and energy storage, signed a Joint Development Agreement with a tier-one commercial vehicle components company, jointly to develop systems for heavy goods vehicles applications utilizing DG Innovate’s Pareta drive technology. Developed alongside the... Read more →

POSCO International (earlier post) has received an order for 1.03 million drive motor cores to be mounted on Hyundai-Kia Motors’ electric vehicle (Seltos class) to be produced locally for the first time in Europe from 2025 to 2034. 550,000 units of drive motor core will be supplied to Hyundai Kia... Read more →

Today’s electrical motors are generally made by cutting and moulding pieces from a metal sheet. 3D printing can radically increase efficiency and reduce material consumption. 3D printing larger motor parts has proven difficult, however, as the parts become too brittle and may easily break. Through an EU-funded project together with... Read more →

ZeroAvia has been awarded $3.25 million in funding by the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop a first-of-a-kind mobile liquid hydrogen (LH2) refueling truck for heavy-duty applications, including aviation and maritime. Funding for the project comes from the Gas R&D; Program administered by the CEC and authorized by the California... Read more →

Yamaha Motor recently concluded a stock purchase agreement with Germany’s DEUTZ AG, which owns marine electric propulsion manufacturer Torqeedo, to acquire all of Torqeedo’s shares. The intended acquisition of Torqeedo, which is subject to clearances, permits, etc., required by competition laws and other regulations, further supports Yamaha’s strategy to implement... Read more →

In late 2023, Airbus’ ZEROe teams powered on the iron pod, the future hydrogen-propulsion system designed for Airbus’ electric concept aircraft. As well as the hydrogen fuel cell system, the iron pod contains the electric motors needed to spin a propeller and the units that control and keep them cool.... Read more →

REE Automotive, developer of the REEcorner system (earlier post), has begun customer deliveries of its P7-C electric chassis cab following FMVSS and EPA certification, making it the first to certify a fully x-by-wire vehicle—a fully steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire and drive-by-wire vehicle. (Earlier post.) REEcorner packs critical vehicle components (steering, braking, suspension,... Read more →

At CES 2024, Magna unveiled its next-generation 800V eDrive solution—a drop-in solution that incorporates several advanced technologies, resulting in significant reductions in weight and size, enhanced performance, extended driving range and sustainability. It offers enhanced flexibility due to its lightweight design and 20% reduction in height from Magna’s prior generation... Read more →

In the REASSERT project, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA are working alongside industry partners to pursue various concepts for repairing, remanufacturing and reusing electric motors as well as new designs for the circular economy. The REASSERT project aims to develop a prototype electric motor... Read more →

Nidec India held an opening ceremony of the new, second building of its existing factory in Neemrana, Rajasthan, in the Republic of India. While Nidec India’s existing factory produces automotive, appliance, commercial, and industrial motors, the second building will manufacture drive motors for e-bikes with an output of 30kW or... Read more →

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have used shear assisted processing and extrusion (ShAPE) (earlier post) to synthesize macro-scale copper-graphene composites with a simultaneously lower temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and improved electrical conductivity over copper-only samples. PNNL has been developing ShAPE to enable more cost- and energy-efficient production... Read more →

ZF has produced more than three million electric motors. ZF covers a broad spectrum of vehicle electrification: from purely electrically powered passenger cars and plug-in hybrids to electric drives for commercial vehicles. ZF electric motor production at the Hangzhou location, China. The global demand for electric drives for passenger cars... Read more →

Japanese technology company THK unveiled its advanced LSR-05 electric prototype at the recent 2023 Japan Mobility Show. Beyond a design study, the LSR-05 is a fully functional prototype vehicle developed to highlight a range of advanced technologies developed by THK for application across the global automotive industry. The LSR-05 is... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have unveiled the Universal Wheel Drive System (Uni Wheel). Uni Wheel is a functionally integrated wheel drive system that improves available space inside an electric vehicle (EV) by moving the main drive system components to the vacant space within the wheel hub. In doing... Read more →

Rare Element Resources (RER), a company seeking to advance the Bear Lodge Rare Earth Project in northeast Wyoming, announced that the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has finalized its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of the company’s planned rare earth processing and separation... Read more →

GM and Niron Magnetics (earlier post) have completed a strategic partnership agreement to co-develop Clean Earth Magnet motor technology that can be used in future GM EVs. GM Ventures has also made an investment in Niron, which will join the ranks of its 30-plus portfolio companies. The investment will support... Read more →

NXP Semiconductors is expanding its scalable S32 vehicle compute platform with the introduction of the S32M2. The purpose-built motor control solution is optimized for efficiency improvement across vehicle applications such as pumps, fans, sunroof and seat position, seat belt pretensioners, trunk openers and more. Building on the success of the... Read more →

Audi is beginning production of electric motors for the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) in its plant in Győr, Hungary. The newly developed electric motors will be used for the first time in the Audi Q6 e-tron series. Production of the fully electric Audi model is scheduled to start at the... Read more →

Nippon Steel Corporation has dropped its lawsuits over electrical steel sheet patents against Toyota Motor Corporation brought in 2021, resulting in these cases being closed. Electrical steels (earlier post) are special steels optimized for specific magnetic properties, including a small hysteresis area for low power loss per cycle, low core... Read more →

From January through July of this year, 1,420 GW of motor power were deployed onto roads globally in newly-sold EVs (including plug-in and conventional hybrids), 53% more than the same period the year prior, according to Adamas Intelligence. Overall, the top 5 suppliers combined powered 54% of the market from... Read more →

Renault Group is designing a new motor that it powerful and efficient, and uses no rare earths. This third motor generation is a team adventure with Valeo, which is contributing its stator expertise. Renault Group is contributing the rotor. This new motor, E7A, is still at the prototype stage and... Read more →

Comau, a Stellantis company, has implemented a high-performance turnkey solution to automate manufacturing of NIO’s next-generation electric drive systems. The multi-faceted project also ensures fast and reliable co-line production for the electric vehicle manufacturer’s third-gen induction and permanent magnet motors, both of which are integral parts of its proprietary electric... Read more →

Equipmake, the UK-based engineering specialist pioneering the development and production of electrification products across the automotive, aerospace, bus, and coach industries, will collaborate with Perkins on a new off-highway hybrid system project. Awarded a total of £11.14 million (US$13.6 million) in government funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), with... Read more →

Continental has entered a strategic partnership with Munich-based high-tech company DeepDrive to develop core technologies for electric vehicles. As a first milestone, both companies will jointly develop a combined unit comprising drive and brake components for mounting directly on the vehicle wheel. DeepDrive is a specialist in the development of... Read more →

Global copper company First Quantum Minerals Ltd. has contracted with MECS, Inc. (MECS), a subsidiary of Elessent Clean Technologies, for the Kansanshi Smelter Expansion at the Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi, Zambia. The MECS scope will include a redesign of the existing sulfur-burning sulfuric acid plant into a copper smelter off-gas... Read more →

More than other e-models, the Audi Q4 e-tron family has contributed to the strong growth in deliveries in the first half of 2023 (+51.2%). Audi is now comprehensively updating the Q4 e-tron for the 2024 model year with a newly tuned suspension, increased efficiency, characteristic sound, and enhanced standard equipment.... Read more →

Ionic Technologies, Less Common Metals (LCM) and Ford will establish a demonstration circular supply chain for Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in the UK, by utilizing innovative technologies to create high-specification magnets containing 100% recycled REEs for use in Electrical Vehicles (EVs). Ionic Technologies has demonstrated patented technology at the demonstration... Read more →

A team of scientists from Ames National Laboratory is developing a new machine-learning (ML) model for discovering critical-element-free permanent magnet materials. The model predicts the Curie temperature of new material combinations. Curie temperature is the maximum temperature at which a material maintains its magnetism. A paper on the work is... Read more →

ZF has developed an electric motor which does not require magnets. In contrast to the magnet-free concepts of separately excited synchronous motors (SESM) already available today, ZF’s I2SM (In-Rotor Inductive-Excited Synchronous Motor) transmits the energy for the magnetic field via an inductive exciter inside the rotor shaft. This makes the... Read more →

In the early 1990s, Yamaha put major resources into developing the Power Assist System (PAS) for bicycles. Featuring an electric motor providing assistance to the pedaling input of the rider, the Yamaha PAS was fitted to a specially designed bicycle in 1993. Over the last 30 years, Yamaha has developed... Read more →

Bosch is now starting the production of new powertrain solutions based on 800-volt technology. This will make recharging faster and provide a further boost for electromobility. The 800-volt version of the inverter is based on silicon carbide semiconductors. These increase efficiency, and thus also range. In the 800-volt variant of... Read more →

REE Automotive, an automotive technology company and provider of full by-wire electric trucks and platforms, announced that joint testing with HORIBA-MIRA confirms the feasibility of REE’s x-by-wire vehicle control system to pass FMVSS certification requirements. REEcorner x-by-wire REE contracted HORIBA-MIRA, a world-leader in testing, to perform internal tests, modeling certain... Read more →

Rio Tinto and First Quantum Minerals have completed a transaction to form a joint venture that will work to unlock the development of the La Granja project in Peru, one of the largest undeveloped copper deposits in the world. (Earlier post.) La Granja is a complex orebody located at high... Read more →

DeepDrive, a Munich-based deep-tech company backed by BMW and Continental (earlier post), will unveil a new central drive unit for electric vehicles as a world premiere at the IAA Mobility 2023 (4 - 10 September). The company says it is actively working with several leading OEMs interested in the DeepDrive... Read more →

In May 2023, metallurgical coal producer Ramaco Resources, in association with with researchers from the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and analysts at mining consultancy Weir International, released an independent Exploration Target report with technical assessment of rare earth elements (REE) found at its Brook Mine in... Read more →

SAKOR Technologies , a recognized leader in the area of high-performance dynamometer systems, has developed a series of dynamometer systems ideal for customers required to test and verify the level of efficiency of electric motors in accordance with a variety of national and international standards, including IEC 60034-2-1; IEEE 112B;... Read more →

In June, BorgWarner announced the next phase of its “Charging Forward” strategy for advancing its position as a technology leader in e-Products, while maximizing its foundational portfolio. In its subsequent Q2 report, BorgWarner listed a number of e-Products wins, including: iDM for Chinese OEM. BorgWarner will supply a new integrated... Read more →

UK-based engineering specialist Equipmake provided an advanced electric propulsion unit (EPU) for Vertical Aerospace’s prototype eVTOL aircraft. Recently completing the first full-scale untethered eVTOL flights in the UK, the VX4 prototype features a totally bespoke EPU from Equipmake, combining a lightweight, power-dense electric motor with a high-performance inverter, designed, developed... Read more →

Magna announced the start of production of a first-to-market, modular eDecoupling unit to support multiple battery electric vehicle (BEV) programs for a German premium OEM. A bolt-on stand-alone solution for BEVs, Magna’s electro-magnetic eDecoupling is a robust, field-proven product technology that is integrated as a complete module. The eDecoupling is... Read more →

Vitesco Technologies, a leading international supplier of modern drive technologies and electrification solutions, is delivering its integrated axle drive EMR3 (3rd generation, Electronics Motor Reducer) to Honda for its new B-segment all-electric SUV. In Europe this vehicle, based on Honda’s new e:N Architecture F, will be marketed under the name... Read more →

Rio Tinto has agreed to purchase Pan American Silver’s stake in Agua de la Falda S.A. (ADLF), a company with exploration tenements in Chile’s prospective Atacama region, and to enter a joint venture with Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) to explore and potentially develop Agua de la Falda’s... Read more →