Modal Motors skips rare-earth magnets to cut China out — SkimNews
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- Michael Van Steenburg founded Modal Motors to build electric motors in the U.S. without rare-earth magnets, aiming to eliminate reliance on China’s dominant supply chain.
- Modal Motors is developing a compact electric motor for drones, fans, and actuators designed for high torque density and efficiency, with no rare-earth materials.
- Modal Motors is also creating a flat 'Hybrid Enigma Drive' planar motor intended for space-constrained applications, representing a radical departure from conventional motor designs.
- Michael Van Steenburg criticized other U.S. motor manufacturers for reshoring production while still depending on rare-earth magnets, which he says won’t be domestically available for years.
- Michael Van Steenburg cited China’s past restrictions on rare-earth exports as proof of the urgency to develop alternative motor technologies outside its supply chain.
- Michael Van Steenburg drew on decades of automotive industry experience, including past work on a hybrid drivetrain China once intended for its 'People’s Car,' to inform Modal Motors’ China-free strategy.
Why it matters: The U.S. lacks a domestic rare-earth magnet supply, so continued reliance delays true supply chain independence. Modal Motors’ approach makes decoupling from China a near-term engineering challenge rather than a long-term resource gamble, affecting how quickly American industries can secure critical components.
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