Legend of the rare earths

When it comes to electromobility, the discussion will eventually turn to the rare earth elements. Their breakdown causes incredible damage, they get stuck in electric car batteries, and they’re often said to be dead soon. What about the electric car legend? Blick was interested in rare earth elements.

First of all, they are called just that, but mostly they are not rare: 17 elements of “rare earth metals” (the correct name is rare earth metals) were once found only in rare substances. But sometimes they are as common as copper. In 2020, 240,000 tons of ore was mined. Known Reserves: 120 million tons. Larger reserves are suspected, for example, in Greenland. China has the largest known deposits. There are still significant deposits in Australia or Brazil, India or Russia, the USA or Vietnam.

catalytic converter and electric motor

Rare earth elements are found in plasma televisions and X-ray machines, hard drives and headphones, fluorescent tubes and LED lamps and, and, and. By the way, also in catalytic converters and soot filters in combustion cars. And in the electric car? Usually because they are not inside the battery as assumed. But in the electric motor.

The most important rare earth for a car is neodymium for the powerful permanent magnets in the electric motor. Neodymium is also found in hard drives, speakers, wind turbines and smartphones. About 0.4 grams per smartphone and up to three kilos per electric car engine. If the car manufacturer does not do without it, which is currently trending with high demand and fluctuating prices (currently around 90 CHF/kg).

The mocking game on the market

Prices fluctuate as China plays poker. As the country with the largest reserves of rare earth elements, China initially eliminated and bankrupted other countries. As a true monopoly, China raised the price of neodymium to 230 francs and was content to threaten a famine in trade disputes. The irony of the cynical game: This is how neodymium mining is valuable to others. The price has dropped and should now stabilize at a higher level, according to experts. China’s share of neodymium today: over 80 percent.

However: It also works without it. Examples: BMW’s iX3 uses neither neodymium nor other rare earth elements. Front engines in the i4 or iX, Renault Zoe or Nissan Ariya or VW’s 4×4-ID and various other models do not contain neodymium. Permanently excited motors (with neodymium) have advantages in terms of efficiency. Separately excited (without neodymium) better “sailing”. The waiver is mainly due to price and security of supply and above all ecological image reasons.

Environmental damage in China

As China has expanded its position as the largest supplier of rare earth elements at the expense of the environment and people: While strict regulations apply in Western countries, large quantities, sometimes even radioactive poisonous sludge, have ended up in the wild in China (China has promised remediation, but how much more to the new requirements) uncertain if it will fit well). I’m not even talking about working conditions in Chinese mining here.

No one cares about buying a smartphone, but the focus is on e-cars. That is why manufacturers of batteries such as lithium or cobalt (non-rare earth elements) ensure that their supply chains are ecologically and socially responsible, seek alternatives and explore recycling. It works: Recycled neodymium magnets are 96 percent better than new ones.