Circular economy: Magnets from old hard drives could wind up in EV motors

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Axial motor with recycled rare-earth material – ORNL
As some of the world’s largest automakers ramp up production for a generation of electric vehicles, the supply of one of the most important ingredients—rare-earth elements—is surely a cause for concern.

Rare-earth elements—especially neodymium—are in short supply because of their limited production locations, much of them in China. They're needed for the compact, power-dense permanent-magnet motors in many of today's EVs, and increasingly for green-energy sector uses like wind farms.

Now, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratories are experimenting with mining one of our best sources of rare-earth materials—used computer hard drives—for what can be repurposed in an axial gap motor, a type of permanent-magnet synchronous motor that could be used in electric vehicles or industrial machinery.

DON'T MISS: Rare-earth metals in magnets for electric-car motors: what you need to know

It’s just a demonstration so far, but it shows how magnets from devices that are otherwise destroyed could be recycled and reused as part of a circular economy.

Efforts to reduce rare-earth element use, as well as efforts to reuse and recover rare-earths, are frequently mentioned in sustainability reports. Toyota recently announced a way of cutting the neodymium in motor magnets by 20 percent (or up to 50 percent eventually) by substituting cerium and lanthanum, rare-earths that are processed simultaneously but aren’t as high-demand. And Nissan has, with its e-Power hybrid system slated for more models soon, boasted that it’s cut rare-earth elements by 70 percent.

READ MORE: Limits On Rare-Earth Metals To End After China Loses Global Trade Case

Meanwhile, the appetite for rare-earth elements isn’t showing any signs of cooling. While Tesla went with AC induction motors for its Model S and Model X, it’s moved to a permanent-magnet design to power the rear wheels of the Tesla Model 3. Dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions of the Model 3 get an AC induction motor at the front that’s free of additional rare-earths. Likewise, Volkswagen has said that it’s planning to use permanent-magnet motors for rear motors in millions of new-generation electric vehicles arriving in the U.S. starting in 2020. Audi stands as an outlier, as at both axles it’s using a current-excited synchronous motor design that needs no rare-earths.

Volkswagen MEB platform architecture

The supply pinch is nothing new. Two decades ago, the U.S. was a significant producer of rare-earth elements, as was Australia. Eventually China inched into the market and corporations went out of business as they couldn’t match the prices on the Chinese-sourced material. That’s left China with an uncomfortable monopoly on the world’s supply, especially as the electronics and automotive sectors have been increasingly dependent on these materials.

CHECK OUT: Al Gore Versus the Rare Earth Metals

The fragility of the situation was demonstrated in 2011 when China cut off supply of rare-earth elements after a political tiff with Japan. Prices skyrocketed, sending users rushing to stockpile the materials initially, before prices tanked and set off some vicious volatility in recent years.

The researchers say that by simply recycling the 35 percent of hard drives that currently are destroyed, about 1,000 metric tons of magnet material could be recovered per year. While they made no statement about how many vehicle motor magnets that might support, every little bit will surely help.

Dealers offer bigger discounts to shift large SUVs

Dealers are offering bigger discounts on large SUVs to keep the metal moving. That’s the conclusion of the latest quarterly Target Price from What Car? which found that discounts in the large SUV segment rose by 6% in the three months to August. Falling demand for big SUVs and the fall-out from diesel were leading… Continue reading Dealers offer bigger discounts to shift large SUVs

Dreamforce 2018: Automobili Lamborghini launches new app in collaboration with Salesforce to achieve new level of customer experience

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Sant’Agata Bolognese/San Francisco (CA), 28 September 2018 – Automobili Lamborghini presents its new customer app, ‘Lamborghini Unica’, during Dreamforce 2018, the leading event for Customer Experience Innovation and Transformation in San Francisco. The new Lamborghini Unica app is a digital evolution of customer experience, realized in collaboration with Salesforce, the global leader in Customer Relationship Management. It delivers a more personalized customer service across digital touchpoints, cleverly mixed with Lamborghini’s unique brand experience. A digital journey for the customer, Lamborghini Unica allows owners to manage their vehicles and fully embrace the Lamborghini lifestyle through experiences, news and events. Features include exclusive access to information such as private virtual previews of new Lamborghini models or real-time pictures about the production status of the new Lamborghini Urus. “At Lamborghini, we are focused on creating innovative products that stand the test of time while upholding the inimitable character of Italian culture,” said Federico Foschini, Chief Commercial Officer of Automobili Lamborghini. “Experiential excellence is also in the detail, and we chose Salesforce to build outstanding digital experiences for our customers that hold true to our brand.” Dreamforce 2018 takes place in San Francisco from 25 to 28 September, comprised of 2,700 working sessions, and 170,000 attendees.

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Electric cars are clean, but can they be profitable? New report casts doubt

Volkswagen MEB platform architecture
A flood of new electric-car models is washing into the market in the next year as automakers scramble to meet regulatory demands for electric cars around the world—not to mention scrambling to compete with Tesla.

The challenge, as with Tesla, is whether they can sell those cars at a profit.

A new report by AlixPartners, a worldwide business consulting firm, shows the transition to electric cars is coming at a steep cost to automakers.

DON'T MISS: VW plans 27 electric cars by 2022 on new platform

The company pegs the cost of building new electric cars at almost $9,000 more than conventional cars, and plug-in hybrids at an additional $5,700.

Worldwide, the report says, established and startup automakers are spending $255 billion to develop more than 200 new electric models that are expected to hit the market by 2022.

Many of these will be low-volume models that will not make a significant dent in the development costs for new powertrains, the report says.

CHECK OUT: Tesla sells 200,000th car, starting phaseout of federal tax credits

Further, the number of new models is likely to exceed customer demand, the report says, meaning that intense competition among these new electric cars may force automakers to sell them at a discount. This hit to automaker profits could be exacerbated by ride-sharing and autonomous car fleets, which would buy cars at fleet prices.

As if to confirm the report, BMW cheif executive Bernhard Kuhnt told Bloomberg Friday, “Tesla is now ramping up their volumes, and it’s putting pressure on that market segment.”

At the same time, the study notes, the overall car market in the U.S. is beginning a cyclical downturn from its record sales of 17.2 million new cars and trucks in 2017.

That's not to say the study expects electric cars to be unsuccessful. AlixPartners forecasts that by 2030, electric cars will make up 20 percent of the U.S. market, 30 percent of European car sales, and 35 percent of car sales in China.

2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC

In a consumer survey conducted as part of the study, AlixPartners found that 22.5 percent of Americans say they plan for their next car purchase to have plug-in capability.

A Reuters report on the study notes that auto executives generally concur that the transition to electric cars will be expensive, and that R&D and development costs for electrics may not be paid off any time soon. “What everyone needs to realize is that clean mobility is like organic food—it’s more expensive,” Carlos Tavares, chief executive of Peugeot, Citroen, and Opel manufacturer PSA told Reuters.

Last month, BMW warned investors that investments in electric-car development and meeting cleaner emissions rules would erode profits. Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz also each warned separately that developing electric cars will cost more than they initially budgeted.

So far tax incentives from many governments, such as the U.S. federal $7,500 tax credit, are designed to offset these higher costs. As automakers begin to sell millions of electric cars, however, these tax incentives may become unsustainable.

READ MORE: 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC specs revealed (Updated)

The hope is that by then battery prices will equal the cost of internal combustion powertrains, but that's not guaranteed. Batteries currently account for 40 percent of the cost of building an electric car, Reuters reports.

AlixPartners reports that commodity costs are up 70 percent the last year compared with 2015, at $884 per car, a six-year high.

“Industry players are sort of caught between a rock and a hard place,” said Shiv Shivaraman, co-head of AlixPartners' American automotive and industrial practice. “If they don’t participate in some way in the ‘new-mobility’ revolution that’s coming, they stand to lose out on what might be the biggest thing ever in this industry. If they do participate, as so many are, they have the chance of benefiting from first-mover advantages, but they also face the possibility of going broke in the process.”

Porsche Claims It Can Cut In Half Tesla’s Charging Times

1 H BY MARK KANE Porsche sees its competitive advantage in ultra-fast charging. In one of the most recent interviews, Klaus Zellmer, president and CEO for Porsche Cars North America, stated that the upcoming Porsche Taycan will separate itself from the competition through ultra-fast charging (to 80% in 15 minutes – “which is almost the same… Continue reading Porsche Claims It Can Cut In Half Tesla’s Charging Times

Opel has to re-park

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Bosch supplies Byton

Chinese startup Byton has teamed up with Bosch to build its vehicles. The startup company Byton out China was one of the eye-catchers on the past CES 2018 in Las Vegas. There one imagined his vehicle, above all Tesla To make competition. For the production of the Byton models one has now a cooperation with… Continue reading Bosch supplies Byton

Lazy diesel compromise

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Volkswagen’s Skoda needs to boost annual capacity by 400,000 cars – CEO

{{if trimcom}}{{:trimcom}}{{else}}{{:comment.substr(0,500)}}{{/if}} {{if comment.length > 500}} … Read More {{/if}} Maruti Suzuki Eeco crosses 5 lakh unit sales milestone Honda, General Motors team up for self-driving tech New Datsun Go and Go+ get more safety, features Go to Source