Simple Energy: Rare Earth Free Motors in India

Mumbai, Sep 16 (PTI) IPO-bound electric scooter maker Simple Energy on Tuesday said it has started commercially manufacturing the country's first rare earth free motors at its Hosur, Tamil Nadu production facility.

With this move, Simple Energy strengthens its 'Built in India, for the World' vision and opens new doors for more sustainable and geopolitically neutral supply chains, the company said in a statement.

"Global supply chain disruptions and material dependencies have made one thing clear: the future of electric mobility must be built on self-reliance. Deep localization and a 'Make in India' approach are no longer aspirations -- they're imperatives," said Suhas Rajkumar, Co-founder and CEO, Simple Energy.

The new motor line delivers the same performance and torque-driven character, without relying on heavy rare earth elements, Simple Energy said.

"This patented, in-house technology replaces heavy rare earth magnets with optimized compounds and is powered by proprietary algorithms that manage heat and torque in real time. Already in production, it proves that high performance can be achieved without compromising sustainability or strategic independence," he said.

In April, China, which dominates the supply of these vital minerals, had restricted the supply, impacting the domestic automobile industry significantly.

In response to material restrictions, Simple Energy explored alternative compounds and systematically tested combinations to deliver performance on par with heavy rare-earth-based systems, it said, adding this was coupled with proprietary in-house algorithms that control how the motor manages heat, magnetic field, and torque delivery.