As some of the world’s largest automakers ramp up production for a generation of electric vehicles, the supply of one of the most important ingredients—rare-earth elements—is surely a cause for concern. Rare-earth elements—especially neodymium—are in short supply because of their limited production locations, much of... Circular economy: Magnets from old hard drives could wind up in EV motors
As some of the world’s largest automakers ramp up production for a generation of electric vehicles, the supply of one of the most important ingredients—rare-earth elements—is surely a cause for concern. Rare-earth elements—especially neodymium—are in short supply because of their limited production locations, much of... 
It's not surprising that the powertrains of electric cars differ quite a bit from traditional internal-combustion engines. Although they have fewer moving parts, the rare-earth magnets that help power electric cars can be quite complex to fabricate. So, what is there to know about rare-earth magnets—and how do automakers choose which kind of...