cover of episode How New Motors Could Transform the EV Industry

How New Motors Could Transform the EV Industry

2024/12/13
logo of podcast WSJ’s The Future of Everything

WSJ’s The Future of Everything

AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
B
Burak Ozpineci
D
Danny Lewis
一名专注于技术和未来趋势的记者和播客主持人,目前工作于《华尔街_journal》。
R
Rhiannon Hoyle
Topics
@Danny Lewis : 本期节目讨论了稀土元素在电动汽车电机中的重要性,以及减少或消除其使用对未来电动汽车制造和成本的影响。 @Rhiannon Hoyle : 稀土元素广泛应用于各种电子产品,但其开采和精炼过程存在环境和地缘政治风险,尤其在中国占据主导地位的情况下。减少对稀土元素的依赖,可以降低电动汽车的成本,并减少地缘政治风险,但目前技术上仍有挑战。 @Burak Ozpineci : 电动汽车电机主要由定子和转子组成,永磁电机使用稀土永磁体以提高效率和减小尺寸。然而,不使用稀土永磁体的电机体积更大,效率可能较低,目前研究人员正在努力使无稀土永磁体的电机性能与现有电机相当,并降低成本,以期在未来电动汽车中得到广泛应用。 Rhiannon Hoyle: 稀土元素虽然在地球上储量丰富,但开采和加工难度大,且伴生放射性物质,存在环境问题。中国控制着全球大部分稀土元素的开采和精炼,这带来了地缘政治风险,依赖单一来源的稀土供应链存在风险,尤其是在中国占据主导地位的情况下。中国在稀土市场上的主导地位引发了地缘政治担忧,包括其可能操纵价格和供应的风险。中国过剩的稀土产量导致价格低迷,阻碍了其他国家在该领域的投资。稀土价格上涨可能导致电动汽车等产品价格上涨,或者导致产品效率降低。稀土供应链中断可能对电动汽车等行业产生重大影响。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter explores rare-earth elements, their importance in various technologies including EVs, and the challenges associated with their mining and processing. It highlights their crucial role in creating powerful magnets for EV motors and the geopolitical concerns surrounding their concentrated supply in China.
  • Rare-earth elements are critical for powerful magnets in EV motors.
  • China controls a significant portion of the rare-earth supply chain.
  • Mining and processing rare-earth elements pose environmental and geopolitical concerns.

Shownotes Transcript

Electric vehicles are a big part of the green energy transition but some of their most critical components are made using rare-earth elements. These can be highly toxic and environmentally destructive to mine and refine, with politically-complicated supply chains to boot. Engineers and automakers like Tesla, GM and Stellantis are now racing to build motors that don’t require magnets made from rare earths, but they must figure out how to match the efficiency. WSJ mining and commodities reporter Rhiannon Hoyle speaks with host Danny Lewis about why countries and companies are finding alternatives to rare earths. Plus, Oak Ridge National Laboratory engineer Burak Ozpineci tells us where new motors could take the EV industry.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com 

Sign up for the WSJ's free The Future of Everything newsletter

Further reading:

For EV Startups, Things Are Going From Bad to Worse 

Rare-Earth Prices Are in the Doldrums. China Wants to Keep Them That Way. 

Lynas Bets on New Rare Earths Products, Breaking China Stranglehold 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices