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Hybrid vehicles combining a gasoline engine and electric motor
have become increasingly popular in many developed countries,
but sourcing a steady supply of rare earth elements such as
dysprosium and terbium has been a challenge.
In 2010 China imposed a temporary ban on exports of rare earth
minerals to Japan as the two nations engaged in territorial
disputes.
Honda, Japan's third-largest automaker, said on Tuesday that its
new motors used magnets developed by Daido Steel Co that do not
contain dysprosium and terbium.
This reduced the cost of producing the magnets, a key component
in motors, by about 10 percent while making them nearly 8
percent lighter, Honda said.
The new motors will be used in the next Freed minivan, which is
sold in Japan and other Asian markets, to be unveiled in the
autumn.
Honda started looking to reduce the use of heavy rare earth
metals 10 years ago, but a spike in prices around 2011 prompted
the tie-up with Daido, the company said.
"This technology will lower our costs and reduce our exposure to
price fluctuations," a Honda official told reporters.
The redesigned motor still uses the light rare earth element
neodymium, which is found in North America and Australia, as
well as China.
Honda is aiming for new-energy vehicles, including
gasoline-electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery-electric and
fuel cell vehicles to account for two thirds of its line-up by
2030, from around 5 percent now.
(Editing by Chang-Ran Kim, Chris Gallagher and David Goodman)
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