German automotive parts manufacturer MAHLE said that the company is developing a new kind of magnet-free electric motor that does not require rare earth elements.
This not only makes production more environmentally compatible, but also brings advantages in terms of costs and resource security, the company said in a release.
The central feature of the new motor is that it is inductive and thus has contactless power transmission—this allows the motor to operate wear-free and efficiently at high speeds. MAHLE claims that the efficiency is above 95% at almost all operating points—a level that previously has only been achieved by Formula E racing cars.
MAHLE has thus succeeded in combining the strengths of various electric motor concepts in one product. This new development is easily scalable, so it can be used in anything from subcompacts to commercial vehicles.
“With our new electric motor, we’re living up to our responsibility as a sustainably operating company,” Michael Frick, chairman of the MAHLE management board (ad interim) and CFO, said. “Dispensing with magnets and therefore the use of rare earth elements offers great potential not only from a geopolitical perspective but also with regard to the responsible use of nature and resources,” he added.
MAHLE further mentioned that the new electric motor is also characterised by a high degree of durability, because the necessary transmission of electrical currents between the rotating and stationary parts inside the motor takes place without contact and is therefore wear-free. This makes the engine maintenance-free and suitable for a wide range of applications.
“Our 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 lower cost,” Martin Berger, vice president corporate research and advanced engineering at MAHLE, said.
In 2020, MAHLE generated sales of approximately EUR 9.8 billion and has a footprint in over 30 countries with more than 72,000 employees in 160 production locations and 12 major research and development centres.
