CREWE, England—Bentley Motors is embarking on a three-year R&D study that aims to revolutionize the sustainability of electric motors. It is part of the luxury automaker’s initiative to only produce hybrid and electric vehicles by 2026.
The goal of the RaRE (Rare-earth Recycling for E-machines) project is to use recycled rare-earth magnets in e-motors. Bentley engineers hope to build on work completed at the University of Birmingham in devising a method of extracting magnets from waste electronics.
“Adding to the sustainability benefits that RaRE will provide, the bespoke motors created through this method promise to minimize complexity through manufacture while supporting the development of the UK supply chain for both mass production and low-volume components,” says Matthias Rabe, Ph.D., member of the board for engineering, at Bentley Motors.
“As we accelerate our journey to electrification, offering only hybrid or electric vehicles by 2026, and full electric by 2030, it is important that we focus on every aspect of vehicle sustainability, including sustainable methods of sourcing materials and components,” explains Rabe.
“RaRE promises a step-change in electrical recyclability, providing a source of truly bespoke, low-voltage motors for a number of different applications, and we are confident the results will provide a basis for fully sustainable electric drives,” notes Rabe.
“This study will run in parallel to [our] OCTOPUS research program that aims to deliver a breakthrough in electric power trains, utilizing a fully integrated, free from rare-earth magnet e-axle that supports EV architectures,” adds Rabe.
