Honda creates an electric motor without the use of rare earth metals

Honda has partnered with Daido Steel to build the first hybrid engine that does not require the use of heavy rare earth metals. These metals are mainly exported from China, and in 2010 the country imposed a temporary ban on their export to Japan due to a territorial dispute.

Ten years ago, Honda began looking for ways to eliminate the use of rare earth metals. And so, recently Honda announced that the latest Freed minivan, which is due to enter the Japanese market this year, could receive a variety of hybrid electric motors with Daido Steel magnets that do not contain dysprosium and terbium, rare earth metals from China.

Companies replaced these rare earths with neodymium, which can also be found in the United States of America and Australia in addition to China. In addition, using neodymium, Honda has reduced the cost of producing magnets, which are the most expensive part of the engine, by 10 percent. And this led to a decrease in its weight by 8 percent, and also the company was able to reduce its dependence on fluctuations in commodity prices.