Interview with Dr. João Bonifácio, Head of System Development Advanced Engineering - Electrified Powertrain Technology at ZF Group

The conversation surrounding the use of rare earth materials and the environmental impact and cost of using them, has led to many in the industry actively working to move away from the use of rare earth metals like cobalt and neodymium. The key challenge for the industry is finding alternatives that produce the same or more levels of efficiency as the permanent magnet motor. Wanting to understand how or if this could be done, Automotive IQ spoke with Dr. João Bonifácio, Head of System Development Advanced Engineering - Electrified Powertrain Technology at ZF Group to learn insights on reducing rare earth materials, improving efficiency in doing so and what alternatives can be used.

• Learn how to reduce rare earth materials or completely remove them from motors while maintaining efficiency

• Learn how to incorporate rare earth free motors into different models

• Find solutions to challenges related to reducing the amount of rare earth materials in motors

• Discuss the technologies that can help eliminate the dependency on these materials