On June 22, according to Kyodo News, there is a growing trend in Japan's automotive industry toward developing motors that do not rely on rare earth elements, which China dominates in terms of market share. Major components supplier Astemo (based in Tokyo) has developed a new type of motor for pure electric vehicles (EVs) using its proprietary technology. With China tightening export controls on critical minerals, the ability to build a "rare-earth-free" supply chain insulated from political fluctuations is now being put to the test.
The immediate impetus for Japan's accelerated development of rare-earth-free motors is to address the high concentration of rare earth supply chains and the potential risk of supply disruption.
Currently, China accounts for approximately 70% of global rare earth production and about 90% of refining capacity. Japan exhibits extremely high import dependence on certain key rare earths—such as medium-to-heavy rare earths like dysprosium and terbium.
Recently, China has strengthened export controls on critical minerals—especially those related to dual-use items—raising concerns among Japan’s automotive and high-tech industries about reduced rare earth supplies. As a result, building a "rare-earth-free" supply chain resilient to external political developments has become a crucial strategic consideration for securing Japan’s core manufacturing sector.
"Rare-earth-free" does not imply absolute performance equivalence; rather, it involves innovative engineering designs to compensate for the inferior physical properties of alternative materials.
According to technical analyses, new motors developed by companies such as Astemo—including ferrite-assisted synchronous reluctance motors—primarily use common materials like iron. These motors generate torque through specially designed multi-layer magnetic circuit structures, replacing traditional neodymium-iron-boron rare earth permanent magnets.
Since substitute materials like ferrite have significantly weaker magnetism compared to rare earth materials, achieving the same power output typically requires increased size and weight. For instance, test data from Astemo shows that their rare-earth-free motors are about 30% larger overall than conventional permanent magnet motors. Therefore, rare-earth-free motors are more of a pragmatic choice driven by supply chain security rather than superior absolute performance. Although the technical roadmap is becoming clearer, fully transitioning to rare-earth-free motors faces enormous challenges: existing motor production lines were largely designed around permanent magnet motors, and full-scale reconfiguration would require massive investment.
Reducing reliance on key minerals from a single country is not only Japan’s goal but also a shared trend across the global automotive industry.
To avoid risks associated with rare earth price volatility and geopolitical tensions, major international automakers including BMW, Renault, and Tesla are actively pursuing rare-earth-free or low-rare-earth solutions such as wound-rotor motors, induction motors, or synchronous reluctance motors.
This shift marks a transition in the EV industry—from an exclusive pursuit of "high-performance materials" to a new phase emphasizing "supply chain resilience" and "material sustainability."
Japan’s push toward rare-earth-free motors is an inevitable choice born out of technological innovation in response to export restrictions on critical minerals and supply chain risks. This trend reflects both advancements in engineering design and the harsh realities faced by high-end global manufacturing amid resource competition.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868756535734272/
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