Elon Musk says Tesla has a rare-earth-free motor. Should China be worried?
As Tesla CEO Elon Musk touted the motor of his company’s Cybercab – which, he claims, contains no rare earth elements – debate has emerged over whether the technology could mark a meaningful shift in electric vehicle (EV) supply chains, or undercut one of China’s trump cards in its protracted trade conflict with the US. While the move has been viewed as an effort to reduce the EV industry’s…
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that the motor of his company’s upcoming Cybercab electric vehicle contains no rare earth elements, sparking debate over the potential impact on electric vehicle (EV) supply chains and China's role in the industry. While the move is seen as an effort to reduce EV reliance on rare earths, used in permanent magnets that power motors, experts believe it will be difficult to significantly weaken China's leverage in the EV market.
China produces about 70% of global rare earth elements and processes 90% of them, giving its EV industry an advantage. However, scaling Tesla's technology and the widespread use of rare earths in other industries pose challenges to reducing China's control. Despite the technology's potential, analysts say it is still early to consider it a defining moment and question whether China has truly lost its "rare earths trump card."
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Director Gibney says fear shadowed making of Musk documentary brecorder.com
- Alex Gibney's Elon Musk documentary goes for the jugular in these 3 scenes businessinsider.com
- Elon Musk’s The Boring Company announces huge tunnelling project across UAE arabianbusiness.com
