China Automotive Insider
Tesla's Rare-Earth-Free Motor Gives China Something to Think About

A guest post by Henrik Bork | Translated by AI 5 min Reading Time

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Tesla has unveiled a motor that does not contain rare earth elements for its Cybercab robotaxi. What does this mean for China’s supply chain advantage in permanent magnets?

Tesla plans to use an electric motor that does not contain rare earth elements in the Cybercab.(Image: Tesla)
Tesla plans to use an electric motor that does not contain rare earth elements in the Cybercab.
(Image: Tesla)

Elon Musk reportedly no longer needs China's magnets. The drive motor for his Cybercab robotaxi operates entirely without rare earth elements, and without any loss of range, the Tesla CEO wrote on X late last week. He said this had been “extremely difficult to achieve.”