In the US, MP Materials prepares to supply GM with magnets for electric vehicles — InsideEVs
US company MP Materials said it is preparing to begin supplying US-made automotive neodymium magnets to General Motors from its Independence plant in Fort Worth, Texas. GM said it plans to eventually use MP Materials magnets in all of its electric vehicles in North America, although it did not specify exact timing for their introduction into production vehicles, InsideEVs reports.
Supply localization
The Independence plant processes raw materials from the Mountain Pass deposit in the Mojave Desert in California into magnets for traction electric motors. According to MP Materials, construction of the facility took five years, and it covers 250,000 square feet. The company plans to produce up to 1 million magnets there per day; all production is intended for GM supplies.
In 2021, amid a global semiconductor shortage, GM signed an agreement with MP Materials to purchase rare-earth products from the future Texas facility. GM’s head of global purchasing and supply chain, Shilpan Amin, explained this strategy as a principle of buying products where they are used in manufacturing. The company is also testing magnet prototypes at its engineering center in Pontiac, Michigan.
Magnets for electric motors
These are neodymium-iron-boron NdFeB magnets. They are installed in the rotor of an electric motor and interact with the magnetic field of the stator, which contains copper coils. GM said a large rotor can contain 192 such magnets, while a smaller version can contain 128. Permanent-magnet motors are distinguished by high power density, torque, and electrical energy conversion efficiency.
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According to MP Materials, rare-earth elements account for approximately 25–30% of the material in a finished magnet, while the remainder is mainly iron. At the plant, neodymium and praseodymium oxide is converted into metal blanks, crushed, made into NdFeB powder, pressed into blocks, and then cut, shaped, and given a protective coating.
Competition with China
China dominates the production of rare-earth magnets. According to International Energy Agency data cited by the publication, the country accounts for 49% of global rare-earth raw material reserves. At the same time, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence forecasts that by 2030, the United States’ share of global rare-earth element supply will amount to 5%, while China’s share will be 86%.
Amin acknowledged that US-made magnets currently cost more than Chinese ones due to low production volumes. In his view, production costs may decline as capacity utilization increases. MP Materials also reported an order from Apple for magnets made from recycled rare-earth materials worth $500 million.
