Ola Electric, an Indian electric car manufacturer, has marked a major success by designing a ferrite motor that doesn't require the use of rare earth magnets. Ola designed and produced the motor in-house. Ola says this achievement makes it the first Indian company to achieve certification for a rare earth-free motor. The innovation kills the need to import rare earth magnets, reducing costs and increasing supply chain independence.
Ola Electric's new ferrite motor has been certified by Tamil Nadu-based Global Automotive Research Center. The company said that the motor passed all the tests under AIS 041 standards of the Ministry of Road Transport. Ola guaranteed that its new motor is as good as rare earth magnet-powered motors. It has quality, performance, and efficiency in all the key parameters. Also, the reduced need for foreign material decreases the cost of production. The motor was first introduced in Ola's 'Sankalp' in August and will be introduced as part of the company's new offerings in the near future.
Understanding Rare Earth Magnets
Rare earth magnets are made up of 17 distinct metals, including scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium. They can be found in everyday applications such as electric motors, aircraft, computers, and other electronics. Supply shortages on a global basis have become an issue, primarily due to the fact that most rare earth production is controlled by China and exports are limited.
As a result of this risk to supply, many companies are now looking for alternatives without the use of rare earth materials. Ola Electric's ferrite motor is a big breakthrough in this sense and proves that advanced electric motor technology can be achieved without using restricted resources.
