Name: German firms motor innovation eases rare-earth pressure
Uploaded: 2025-11-11T15:25:23.083Z
Duration: 2 min 15 s
Description: German companies are searching for ways out of their rare-earth dependancy on China. As the Asian powerhouse holds a quasi-monopoly on rare earths, Ziehl-Abegg has invented a new motor with more accessable materials.

German companies are searching for ways out of their rare-earth dependancy on China. As the Asian powerhouse holds a quasi-monopoly on rare earths, Ziehl-Abegg has invented a new motor with more accessable materials.

Berlin

Ziel ABEC, a German manufacturer of elevator motors, has developed a new product that no longer relies on rare earth magnets, which have traditionally been sourced from China. The company made this shift in response to increasingly restrictive Chinese export rules that threatened their ability to supply customers.

By replacing neodymium magnets with ferrite magnets, Ziel ABEC has maintained motor performance while reducing dependency on Chinese rare earths. While some scientists remain skeptical about substituting rare earths due to their unique properties, the company plans to launch its rare earth-free motor next year, with a patent pending for the technology.

German firm's motor innovation eases rare-earth pressure

They're small, and they don't look like much. But for the elevator motors made by the Ziel ABEC company, these rare earth magnets are a key component. For years, the company sourced them from China with no problem. But that has changed. It happened slowly, starting at the beginning of the year, export rules were interpreted ever more narrow. And that can pose a threat for a business model. It started with dropping some shifts until you can't supply your customers any longer. The company wanted to end this dependency, and they started talking to their innovators. Best solution, rare earths out, different magnets in. That, of course, was easier said than done, as rare earth magnets are simply better. But they made it work. We now have a product that, from the outside, looks just like what we had, but it doesn't use rare earths in the shape of neodym magnets. Instead, we're using ferrite magnets. The customer doesn't see a difference. The motor is just as strong. German in-house engineering to battle China. Can others follow? Some scientists are skeptical. Rare earths have very distinct, very particular magnetic characteristics, and they won't be easy to substitute. It's not the first time that China is flexing its muscle. And yet, Europe so far has failed to find a way out of that dependency. The big battle over rare earths started in 2020 in a conflict between China and Japan. The Japanese reacted quickly and started investing strategically in mines in Australia. In Europe, we have taken no such steps. The Ziel ABEC company has found a way out of their problem. Next year, they're bringing out a motor with no rare earths. The patent is pending.

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