Electric machines are known for their high efficiency compared to classical combustion engines. Especially, permanent magnet synchronous motors, which are mainly used within electric vehicles, have a very high efficiency and provide high power outputs. However, those motors use permanent magnets, which are usually containing rare-earth elements like Neodym or Samarium or even heavy rare-earth elements like Dysprosium. Those materials are considered critical, as their mining has often a strong negative impact on the environment and the countries currently mining those materials cannot all be considered fully reliable. In addition, human rights situations are also of concern within those regions.

Due to an ever-increasing awareness of sustainability and supply chain resilience, which has been further driven by global uncertainties (e.g. wars), a major need for high-performant and rare-earth-free electric machines has been emerging in the past years.

Vitesco Technologies is facing this challenge and is working on implementing new materials and motor architectures to provide both power-dense and rare-earth-free electric machines for sustainable electric-driven mobility.