MAHLE's New EV Motor Uses No Rare Earth Magnets

MAHLE, an automotive and engine parts manufacturer has launched a new kind of magnet-free electric motor that does not require rare earth elements (REEs), and it is more environmentally compatible in the production process, as well as brings advantages in terms of costs and resource security.

The central feature of the new engine is the inductive and thus contactless power transmission, these properties allow the engine to operate wear-free and efficient at high speeds. The efficiency is above 95% at almost all operating points, which was previously only achieved by Formula E racing cars.

Magnets, typically using REEs like neodymium, are found at the heart of most EV motors. It's great to have a permanent source of powerful rare earth magnetism in your rotor, because using powered coils instead means you have to somehow transfer electricity from the battery through to the coils in a spinning rotor.

It can be said that this product combines the advantages of various motor concepts. The new product is also easy to expand and can be applied to all types of vehicles from small cars to commercial vehicles. During the development process, MAHLE uses an innovative simulation process to adjust the engine design according to different parameters for different designs until the best value is found.

Compared with the traditional process, this method is faster and lower cost. In this way, the company helps to quickly create the necessary technical conditions to promote the development of electric vehicles globally in a sustainable manner.

"With our new electric engine, we're living up to our responsibility as a sustainably operating company," says Michael Frick, Chairman of the MAHLE Management Board. "Dispensing with magnets and therefore the use of REEs offers great potential not only from a geopolitical perspective but also with regard to the responsible use of nature and resources."

Dr. Martin Berger, Vice President of Research and Senior Engineering at MAHLE, said: "Our rare earth magnet-free motor can certainly be described as a breakthrough, because it provides several advantages that have not yet been combined in a product of this type. As a result, we can offer our customers a product with outstanding efficiency at a comparatively low cost."

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