Despite the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market growing at a slower rate than in previous years, BEV sales will continue to rise, driven by the availability of more models and regulatory pressure. IDTechEx’s latest report, “Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles 2025-2035: Technologies, Materials, Markets, and Forecasts”, explores the advantages and disadvantages of motor types used in EVs, covering the evolution of materials, costs, and power density.
Motor types and their rankings
Permanent magnet and magnet-free motors both have their place within the EV industry. Permanent magnet (PM) motors have dominated the BEV market for years and continue to do so, providing the best efficiency and power density for a variety of EV applications. Magnet-free wound rotor synchronous motors (WRSM) are a primary alternative to PM motors, with adoption seen from players like Renaut and BMW, while induction motors are useful for short acceleration bouts in dual motor vehicles as they are low cost and have no rolling drag when not in use.
Electric car motor market share. Source: IDTechEx
Environment and efficiency
Rare earth PM motors dominate the market for power density; however, rare earth materials typically have greater environmental effects than alternatives such as induction motors and WRSMs. Despite having lower power density, these types can still compete, just not always for first place. Motors that are greater in power density will generally be better for the environment as they can power more with less material. However, this is also dependent on the materials used within them and on an application basis, with different vehicles having varying requirements.
IDTechEx reports that improving a motor’s efficiency could reduce the battery capacity needed within a vehicle, saving money on battery costs. Permanent magnet motors have one of the best motor efficiencies on a WLTP cycle. In contrast, WRSMs have better efficiency at higher speeds, so the best primary motor for a vehicle largely depends on speed and use expectations.
Alternative motor materials
Alternative material demand arises from the need for countries such as the US to scale up domestic manufacturing, with the importance of local material sourcing in the EV market needing to be recognized. As China largely controls the rare earth material supply required for motor manufacturing, there are risks of price volatility and uncertainty arising within the industry, and as rare earth costs increase, so too will PM motor costs. Magnet-free motors are less likely to experience the same uncertainty, though their performance capabilities are not always as desirable.
Players such as Proterial (ferrite magnets), Niron Magnetics (iron nitride technology), and PASSENGER (strontium ferrite and manganese aluminum carbon alloys) are working to provide more locally sourced and environmentally friendly motor materials however, despite efforts, rare earth materials, including neodymium continue to outperform their competitors.
Growth within the EV market
IDTechEx reports that while EV market share in Europe has started to decrease, both plug-in hybrids and BEVs are likely to return to growth in the coming years thanks to regulatory pressure and the threat of large fines. China continues to maintain a high growth in EV market share from its past strong growth, meaning this rate could soon begin to slow, while the US may see a slower growth rate and steady adoption to start soon, playing catch up. IDTechEx’s report, “Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles 2025-2035: Technologies, Materials, Markets, and Forecasts”, explores the best motor options for EV manufacturing going forward, outlining benefits, disadvantages, and key players within the market.
