Magnet recycling and rare-earth free motors offers the UK an opportunity to establish infrastructure, secure feedstock flows, and support innovation in E-motor technologies, the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) has reported.
The findings come from the Rare-earth resilience for the UK’s automotive industry report from the APC, which found that undertaking such work would strengthen national supply chain resilience, reduce dependence on geopolitically sensitive materials, and position the UK as a leader in the emerging circular economy for critical minerals.
It also discovered that the UK has the potential to meet a quarter of its magnet demand for automotive applications through magnet recycling by 2035.
The news comes as globally there is a challenge around rare-earth materials with China dominating the industry. More than 90% of the refinement and manufacturing of the rare-earth materials is undertaken in China, which has caused supply chain risks and vulnerabilities due to the recent tariff and geopolitical issues. New rare-earth mines can take between 9 and 15 years to scale up, it added.
There are also innovation opportunities to improve rare-earth resilience of the industry by investing in non-permanent magnet motors, the APC said.
Dr Hadi Moztarzadeh, Head of Technology Trends, APC, said:
“The accelerating transition to electric mobility and renewable energy is driving unprecedented demand for rare earth permanent magnets, particularly neodymium (NdFeB) magnets used in high-efficiency electric motors.
“Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) are the dominant E-motor used in the EV industry due to their superior performance and efficiency. However, these machines rely on rare-earth materials. Our APC Q4 Automotive demand forecast suggests that PMSM will be dominating the European traction motor demand landscape by 2035, with a demand of almost 13 million motors, nearly 70% of total European demand.
“The UK has a strong opportunity to build a competitive domestic recycling ecosystem. This report indicates that if scaled effectively end-of-life (EoL) EV motors and wind turbines could supply up to 25% of the UK’s future permanent magnet demand by 2035. The report also highlights the innovation opportunities for scaling up rare-earth-free technologies for traction motor applications.”
Image courtesy of Green Car Guide
