Comparison of Rare-Earth free Synchronous Motors for Traction Applications

The motor solutions for electric vehicles are mainly based on high-performance Permanent Magnets. However, the supply chain of permanent magnets seems unreliable in the long-term outlook, especially in scenarios where the electric vehicles industry foresees a large mass production. Therefore, there is growing attention to alternative solutions with reduced or non-rare-earth PM materials. This paper compares two typologies of rare-earth free motors for a full electric vehicle, particularly the PM-assisted Reluctance motor and the Wound-Rotor Synchronous motor. The aim is to analyze the performance, weights, and cost differences. Moreover, the consumption of a C-class segment electric vehicle is calculated with reference to different driving cycles.