Polestar from Sweden is expanding its focus beyond battery recycling to include the recycling of electric motors due to their significant environmental impact. Together with its US partner Cyclic Materials, the Volvo subsidiary is striving for a closed cycle for rare-earth materials in electric motors.
Focus on 100% recycled materials in e-motors
These elements, which include neodymium and dysprosium, are used in the magnets of electric motors and pose environmental risks during mining and further processing. The recycling of magnets is intended to increase the reuse of these elements. Polestar has concluded an agreement in principle with Cyclic Materials to use recycled magnets in new models. The aim is to use 100% recycled materials in electric motors and to make the complete recycling of all Polestar vehicles possible.
Less dependence on raw material suppliers
The Swedish-US collaboration aims to close the material cycles for electric motors and reduce the consumption of resources in Polestar vehicles as well as the dependence on raw material suppliers. Neodymium magnets are also used in combustion engines and offer great potential for the recovery of valuable rare-earth metals.
https://www.elektroauto-news.net/news/polestar-magnet-recycling
