AI Just Found 25 New Magnets That Could Break China's Grip on Electric Vehicles
Every electric vehicle on the road hides a dirty secret inside its motor. The magnets that make it spin depend on rare earth elements — and China controls nearly 90% of the global supply. One research team just used AI to crack that problem wide open. The Supply Chain Everyone Ignores Here’s the uncomfortable math: over 86% of EV motors sold in 2024 used rare earth permanent magnets. Each vehicle packs roughly 1.5 kilograms of neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) — the strongest permanent magnets money can buy. They’re in your phone, your MRI machine, your wind turbine, and increasingly, your car. ...