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> If successful ... It’s a big deal! BMW already has a motor that doesn't use rare earths: https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/bmws-fifth-generation

• Robotbeat 4y ago
  Tesla actually started with AC induction motors using no rare earths. I have that motor in my 2013 Model S. The BMW motor is a synchronous AC motor that doesn’t use permanent magnets. The Tesla announcement is about still using the high efficiency permanent magnet motors, but using permanent magnets without using rare earths (there are a few options, like iron nitride… this is an active area of research by folks like the University of Minnesota and Ames National lab in Iowa, often funded by ARPA-E as well as some startups trying to commercialize them like Niron Magnetics).