Rare earth materials create enabling technologies which are
found throughout Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), Plug-in HEV’s
(PHEV), all-Electric Vehicles (EV) as well as in standard
gasoline or diesel vehicles. Powerful neodymium-iron-boron
(NdFeB) magnets are vital in the electric motor and regenerative
braking systems found in the above electric vehicle categories
and are also crucial to the numerous small motors that power
adjustable seats, windshield wipers, power windows, power
steering systems, and many other elements in modern vehicles.
Virtually all HEVs, PHEVs, and EVs on the road today also rely
on rare earths (primarily lanthanum) in the battery pack which
stores energy normally wasted during coasting and braking,
saving it until needed by the electric motor. The low weight of
these motors also enables more fuel efficient transportation. To
estimate the positive impacts to our environment, the U.S. EPA
assumes each HEV will have twice the mpg and only half the
emissions of an equivalent gas or diese