The permanent magnets in electric vehicle (EV) motor rotors are typically made from rare Earth minerals such as terbium, dysprosium, praseodymium and neodymium. Reliance on these costly constituents may be reduced as the result of a strategic partnership agreement by General Motors (GM) and Niron to co-develop the latter’s Clean Earth Magnet motor technology.

Minnesota-based Niron Magnetics has developed the world’s first permanent magnet with automotive-grade power that is entirely free from critical materials, including rare or heavy rare Earth minerals. The proprietary Clean Earth Magnet technology is based on iron nitride, an abundant and affordable material with great potential for commercial use in future EVs.

The use of readily available commodity inputs of iron and nitrogen also leads to a 75% lower overall environmental impact than rare Earth-based magnets. In addition, iron nitride magnets can exceed the performance of rare Earth devices by up to 50% and offer inherent stability over wide temperature ranges. The technology can help secure the EV supply chain in North America.

“We believe Niron’s unique technology can play a key role in reducing rare Earth minerals from EV motors and help us further scale our North American-based supply chain for EVs,” said Anirvan Coomer, president of GM Ventures. “Our path to an all-electric future will be enabled not only by our own research and development efforts, but also by investing in next generation technology from startups and established companies outside our four walls.”