The push also aligns with the Indian government’s plan, announced in August 2025, to turn the country into an EV export hub.
TRADE-OFFS AND TECHNICAL HURDLES
Yet even as momentum builds in India and beyond, analysts noted that trade-offs and technical challenges remain before rare-earth-free motors can be adopted at scale.
Seventy to 80 per cent of EV motors today make use of rare-earth magnets, according to JMK Research & Analytics’ industry report.
The auto industry’s inherent conservatism is one reason adoption has been slow, even as it recognises the geopolitical risks, experts said.
Somani said automakers will adopt rare-earth-free motors at scale only when the alternative is “better on every other front”, referring to performance, size, cost and reliability.
As it stands, current rare-earth motors tend to be more efficient, converting about 90 to 95 per cent of energy into motion under real driving conditions, compared to around 84 to 92 per cent efficiency for rare-earth-free alternatives, experts said.
Different types of rare-earth-free motors also come with their own challenges.
For instance, switched reluctance motors often produce more vibration and noise, while synchronous reluctance motors require more sophisticated control systems to run smoothly.
Ferrite-based motors, meanwhile, use weaker magnetic materials, which can limit performance and lead to higher heat generation in the motors.
But in comparison, Ferrite magnets are generally more heat–resistant than rare-earth magnets.
“Rare-earth magnets are prone to demagnetisation at higher temperatures,” said Dorsa Talebi, a researcher at Texas A&M University, which is developing a rare–earth-free motor.
Analysts also cautioned that moving away from motors using rare earths does not eliminate dependence, but redistributes it instead.
“Eliminating rare-earth magnets reduces geopolitical supply risk from concentrated minerals but shifts material dependence toward widely available inputs like copper and electrical steel,” Abhik Mukherjee, a research analyst at Counterpoint Research, told CNA.
In any case, a long road lies ahead for the mass adoption of rare-earth-free motors, analysts and industry players said.
“It may take another 10 years for all companies to fully understand and start working on alternatives,” said Gopal from Viridian Ingni Propulsion.
Industry players said government support will be needed to accelerate adoption across India’s auto industry.
“Once people see more adoption with more vehicles (with rare-earth-free motors) on the road, the confidence in the technology will change,” said Bullwork Mobility’s Raghuram.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/electric-vehicle-rare-earth-free-motors-india-solutions-adoption-6004336
