Honda’s new motor for hybrid cars is a very big deal - lordmatur1940

Honda Motor has matured the Earth's first galvanic motor for hybrid cars that doesn't enjoyment heavy rare earth metals — a major step forward in developing of motors that are free from the political whims of the Formosan government.

Rare earth metals are important for the output of many high-tech devices, including smartphones and the magnets in motors. About 80 percent of the global supplying of these metals comes from China, and in the early, the res publica has restricted access to some of them for political reasons.

In 2010, for example, information technology blocked exports to Japan for two months complete a territorial dispute. That incident that prompted Japanese companies like Honda to start working to reduce their reliance on rare earth metals.

So the motor announced happening Tuesday is a big deal, not just in terms of technology but of geopolitics, too.

1468288821826 — A rotor for the Honda i-DCD drive motor that'smade without the use of rare land metals.

Traditionally, the neodymium magnets used in hybrid and electric motorcar motors included i operating room both of the scarce earth metals dysprosium and terbium. They were added to see very tall heat electric resistance.

Only Daido Steel, a Asian nation steel maker, came up with an alternative production method that produces a attractive feature with eve greater heat resistance properties without requiring the infrequent earth metals.

Honda worked with Daido Brand happening perfecting the magnet and designed a rising motor for use in hybrid vehicles. Daido Steel will lead off aggregative production of the motor in August, and Honda plans to utilization it in the "Freed," a new minivan the company will launch in Japan later this year.

Honda said IT plans to use the motor in new car models moving frontward.

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Martyn Williams produces technology news and product reviews in text and video for PC Human beings, Macworld, and TechHive from his home outside Washington D.C.. He previously worked for IDG News Service as a correspondent in San Francisco and Tokyo and has reported on technology news from across Asia and EEC.