4 ms·
Tesla does not use rare earth metals in our battery or motor. The HN Title [1] should be changed, as it is in effect editorializing beyond the information prov
by 001sky 13y ago
Tesla does not use rare earth metals in our battery or motor.
The HN Title [1] should be changed, as it is in effect editorializing beyond the information provided, IMHO. As others have noted, there is no information to suggest the statement is generally true, beyond these two sub-system components.
[1] Currently: "No rare earth metals in the Model S"
- dnautics 13y agothere are almost certainly rare earth metals in the speakers, for example, although the mass would be relatively cheap compared to what you would need for a motor. Does the tesla have regenerative braking system, and I wonder if there are rare earth metals there?
- skriticos2 13y agoThey have a 17" display in the dashboard. That certainly has some rare earths in it combined with all the latest electronics. Here is an article: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/physics/rare-earth-elements-in-cell-phones/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/physics/rare-earth-element...
- joezydeco 13y agoGood point. Almost every capacitive touchscreen uses a vapor-deposited coating of indium tin oxide (ITO) as a transparent conductor. Granted, it's a microscopic amount of indium, but still.
- avmich 13y agoIndium isn't a rare earth element, is it?
- jonnathanson 13y agoTechnically it's not in the set of rare earth metals, though it is rare (at least in naturally occurring and isolated form).
- gilgoomesh 13y agoAnd rare earth metals are not rare. So it's completely different.
- 001sky 13y agoTechnically, its a (rare) precious metal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precious_metal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precious_metal
- Tuna-Fish 13y agoWhich is a completely different thing than a rare earth metal. (Which incidentally are not rare or precious.) To be fair, the group is badly named, but rare earth metals has a very precise meaning -- if something is not one of the lanthanides, Scandium, or Yttrium, it's not REE.
- r00fus 13y agoAgreed, it is not: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_element http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_element
- ams6110 13y agoMore generally, do they have any statement on "conflict-free" sourcing of minerals used in their electrics/electronics? http://www.enoughproject.org/conflict-minerals http://www.enoughproject.org/conflict-minerals
- backprojection 13y ago> Does the tesla have regenerative braking system, and I wonder if there are rare earth metals there? As far as I understand it, they use the motors for regenerative breaking, and the motors don't contain permanent magnets. Where permanent magnets would be used, they use more coils, and thus can vary the strength of the magnetic fields, much like your car's alternator. This is also how they forgo the need for a gear box.
- AsymetricCom 13y agoClearly, the editors are holders of TSLA.
- bauer 13y agoAgreed. Quite a few high-strength steel alloys contain Vanadium as well.
- hristov 13y agoTesla's chasis and body are made of aluminum. There is very little steel in a tesla model s.
- sliverstorm 13y agoAre you certain of this fact? I know the Roadster was made by Lotus out of extruded & epoxied aluminum, but what about the sedan?
- Tuna-Fish 13y agoAnd? Vanadium is not one of the REE.