"They also declined to provide the power output for either motor, though they said that the output ratios of the two were roughly proportional to those in the first Volt.
The two motors use the same stator, but use different rotors. The smaller-output, or "A" motor, uses ferrite rather than rare earth metals, cutting overall rare-earth metal use from 3.2 kg to 1.2 kg, and the use of heavy rare earths (primarily dysprosium) from 282 grams to just 40 grams.
The two-motor drive unit is more efficient than its predecessor, operating at 5 to 12 percent more efficiently. GM declined to specify what metrics that referred to.
It's also 100 pounds (45 kg) lighter than the existing system."
Sums the whole RE/NdFeB battleground quite succinctly.
Significant overall reduction in RE, partially by lower cost enhanced ferrite and no doubt by more efficient design, but the big loser is an 86% reduction in Dy, and that's the last bastion, the power train.
NdFeB manufacturers HAVE to increase cost efficiency to compete against ferrite, and RE primary producers need a lower cost competitive product to be broadly accepted across a myriad of end uses, by a greater number of OEM's, to grow volume demand in the face of far more efficient applications (lower volume per unit).
Haven't seen much quantified from OEM's for a while, but at 3% Dy in drive train apps this supports Showa Denko's claims a couple of years ago at 4%. Virtually eliminated from most other apps Dy is being pushed into a VERY small space, as will become more apparent with further new model releases.
Dy has priced itself WAY out of the market.
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