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Electric motors with no rare earths

renaultgroup.com

121–130 of 231 posts

Re: Electric motors with no rare earths

#122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The cheapest EV model Renault sells is around €20K, the cheapest BMW EV is around €65K. It's safe to say the companies are not in the market bracket, no?

They share the same OEMs, and both are following the same ex-China automotive strategy. Renault has also been thumbing China recently for undermining EU manufacturing as well [0] while China has returned to using Wolf Warrior diplomacy against Europe [1][2][3][4] using the same rhetoric that the Trump admin uses. Of course, under the Xi admin China's foreign policy has always viewed the EU as inferior and a has-been…

only replying to the first link: isn't sourcing (buying or manufacturing locally) parts for Chinese cars made in Europe a good thing?

Re: Electric motors with no rare earths

#123
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cars already have lots of wear items and a mature service industry for them. If I can reliably get at least 50k miles out of it, then I wouldn't be all that bothered, as this is not likely to be an expensive part or service.

> mature service industry for them The car service industry is a scam, and I am glad that EVs require minimal to no servicing that cannot be easily DIY like tires and brakes.

Yet they still charge me the same price as my ICE to service! What a scam.

Re: Electric motors with no rare earths

#124

Unfortunately, their Web page does not say a single word about the important problems of their motors. The electrically excited synchronous motors have been known forever, but they had not been used in EVs because of 2 disadvantages. The first is that traditional EESMs require brushes, i.e. sliding electrical contacts, which are worn out by friction, so such motors require frequent maintenance for changing the brushe…

Not sure how familiar you are with Renault, but “maintenance problems” pretty much sums up a lot of older Renaults.

Re: Electric motors with no rare earths

#125
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes: IIRC some large generators work exactly like this, as the energized rotor gives a lot more flexibility in managing frequency and power output.

Not just some, approximately all of them. It greatly complicates the logistics of a black start. † Of course that situation has additional complexity due to the need for substantial additional power in order for the various fuel supply systems to operate but I digress. † https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_start

Generator excitation is not the hard part of a black start. You have to run coal feeders, blowers, and water pumps for an hour before you can spin the generator. Then you get power instantly upon applying power to the field windings.

Re: Electric motors with no rare earths

#126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They share the same OEMs, and both are following the same ex-China automotive strategy. Renault has also been thumbing China recently for undermining EU manufacturing as well [0] while China has returned to using Wolf Warrior diplomacy against Europe [1][2][3][4] using the same rhetoric that the Trump admin uses. Of course, under the Xi admin China's foreign policy has always viewed the EU as inferior and a has-been…

only replying to the first link: isn't sourcing (buying or manufacturing locally) parts for Chinese cars made in Europe a good thing?

It is, but the PRC has been pushing back against sourcing from within Europe and only intends to use CDKs to assemble EVs. This is what the EU is pushing back against.

What EU states are now lobbying for is if BYD wants to sell an EV in the EU, it should include European originated parts. Just assembling a knockdown kit in Hungary whose parts were all manufactured in China is not "Made in Europe". If BYD or MG wants to sell a BYD or MG car in the EU, they should source the battery pack and powertrain from the EU.

Alternatively, the PRC can drop similar origination requirements from it's domestic market.

The reality is the PRC won't back down, so they will be tariffed by the EU, especially as the EU has lost patience with the PRC due to their active involvement in the Russia-Ukraine War [0], attempting to use diplomatic immunity to kidnap a French national [1], and attempting to embargo the EU's rare earth imports [2].

Additionally, it's easier for the EU to push back against China versus the US while also winning brownie points in the US.

[0] - https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russians-...

[1] - https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2024/07/02/deux-espio...

[2] - https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/china-...

Re: Electric motors with no rare earths

#127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The cheapest EV model Renault sells is around €20K, the cheapest BMW EV is around €65K. It's safe to say the companies are not in the market bracket, no?

They share the same OEMs, and both are following the same ex-China automotive strategy. Renault has also been thumbing China recently for undermining EU manufacturing as well [0] while China has returned to using Wolf Warrior diplomacy against Europe [1][2][3][4] using the same rhetoric that the Trump admin uses. Of course, under the Xi admin China's foreign policy has always viewed the EU as inferior and a has-been…

> following the same ex-China automotive strategy

Is that why Renault EVs (R5, Twingo) are wholesale developed in China? Doesn't seem very ex-to me, more an in- type of strategy.

Re: Electric motors with no rare earths

#129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They share the same OEMs, and both are following the same ex-China automotive strategy. Renault has also been thumbing China recently for undermining EU manufacturing as well [0] while China has returned to using Wolf Warrior diplomacy against Europe [1][2][3][4] using the same rhetoric that the Trump admin uses. Of course, under the Xi admin China's foreign policy has always viewed the EU as inferior and a has-been…

> following the same ex-China automotive strategy Is that why Renault EVs (R5, Twingo) are wholesale developed in China? Doesn't seem very ex-to me, more an in- type of strategy.

The EV batteries are sourced from Ampere and LG (in the EU) and the EESM from Valeo (in the EU).

Sharing platforms isn't something EU manufacturers are opposed to, but they do not want to be dependent on Chinese supply chains. That is the crux of ExChina, especially as the majority of an EV's value is derived from the battery and powertrain.

Re: Electric motors with no rare earths

#130
post #89
post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a near-doubling of energy loss - probably a healthier way to understand it when the efficiencies are all 90%+

Funnily enough if enough of that energy loss (heat) can be scavange, this wouldn't be nearly that bad for us living up here in the cold.

In most EVs motors are watercooled, so that energy can indeed be scavenged – problem is, during low-speed driving, the heat output is not high enough to get noticeably above ambient temperature.
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