As the core device for converting electrical energy into mechanical energy, the motor is the power heart of the modern industrial system. From household appliances to heavy machinery, from transportation to industrial production lines, motors drive the operation of the global economy. Traditional motors mainly use the principle of electromagnetic induction to generate a magnetic field in the winding through current, thereby driving the rotor to rotate. However, this type of motor has obvious energy efficiency defects – its operation depends on continuous current excitation, and the rotor winding loss accounts for 20%-30% of the total loss, making it difficult to break through the efficiency bottleneck.
According to research data, motor systems consume 45%-50% of the world’s total power generation. In China, the annual power consumption of industrial motors is as high as 60% of the total power consumption of the whole society. What is particularly serious is that due to design and material limitations, a large number of motors have been in an inefficient operating state for a long time: statistics show that about 46.3% of the motors have a load rate of less than 50%, and the overall operating efficiency of the system is generally less than 40%. Behind the huge energy waste, there is an urgent need for material and technology upgrades.
The core breakthrough of permanent magnet motors is to use permanent magnets to replace current excitation, completely eliminating rotor copper loss, and achieving a qualitative leap in motor efficiency. Among all kinds of permanent magnet materials, rare earth permanent magnet materials have become the “soul material” of high-end high-efficiency motors due to their excellent magnetic properties. The addition of this type of material not only significantly improves the efficiency of the motor at full load, but also maintains excellent power index (the product of efficiency and power factor) under partial load conditions.
The global rare earth permanent magnet market is experiencing unprecedented rapid growth. According to QYR statistics, global market sales reached US$12.52 billion in 2024 and are expected to climb to US$24.95 billion by 2031. In the segment of motor permanent magnet materials, growth is also strong, with sales expected to reach RMB 206.28 billion in 2031, a CAGR of 7.5%.
The application of rare earth permanent magnet materials in motors has completely reconstructed the efficiency boundary and power density limit of motors. Its core value is reflected in three aspects:
1 Revolutionary improvement in efficiency
The efficiency of rare earth permanent magnet synchronous motors at full load is 5%-8% higher than that of traditional asynchronous motors on average, and the power saving rate of special models (such as oil field pumping motors) can be as high as 15%-20%. This advantage comes from the elimination of rotor winding losses – about 20%-30% of the total losses in asynchronous motors come from rotor currents, and permanent magnet motors provide a constant magnetic field through permanent magnets, which fundamentally solves this problem.
2 Substantial optimization of volume and weight
Thanks to the ultra-high magnetic energy product of NdFeB, the motor can output the same power with a significantly smaller volume. The latest case shows that the permanent magnet drive unit has a 30% increase in torque while reducing its volume by 50%. This feature is particularly important in the fields of electric vehicles and aerospace. For example, the 100kW brushless motor for aviation developed in France weighs only 28kg and has a power density more than three times that of traditional motors.
3 Absolute advantage in light load performance
In actual operation, most motors are in a partial load state. Research shows that only 18.1% of motors operate at loads above 75%, and nearly half operate at loads below 50%. The efficiency and power factor of traditional asynchronous motors drop sharply when lightly loaded, while permanent magnet motors perform exceptionally well: at 22% rated load, their power index (efficiency × power factor) is still as high as 80%, while the asynchronous motor has dropped to 30% at 25% load. This wide economic operating range makes permanent magnet motors an irreplaceable choice in variable load scenarios such as variable frequency air conditioners and CNC machine tools.
Application scenarios: from green energy to smart equipment
1 New Energy Vehicles: The Main Battlefield of Drive Motors
As the “heart” of electric vehicles, drive motors have extremely stringent performance requirements. High-performance NdFeB magnets can improve torque density and efficiency, directly extending the driving range. At present, the new energy vehicle field has accounted for nearly 12% of the global demand for high-performance NdFeB, and the use of single vehicles continues to grow.
2 Wind power generation: the “behind-the-scenes promoter” of clean energy
Direct-drive permanent magnet wind turbines do not require gearboxes and generate electricity directly through the action of permanent magnets on the rotor and stator coils. This design reduces mechanical failure points and improves the reliability of offshore wind power. A single 6MW direct-drive wind turbine consumes about 1.2 tons of NdFeB, and the global wind power installed capacity is expected to exceed 2,000GW in 2030, which will continue to drive the demand for high-end magnetic materials.
3 Industrial energy saving: a transformation tool for high-energy-consuming industries
For variable load systems such as pumps and fans, rare earth permanent magnet variable frequency motors show huge energy-saving potential. The national mandatory standard “GB18613-2020” sets IE3 as the minimum energy efficiency threshold, prompting companies to eliminate inefficient motors.
4 Emerging application scenarios: robots, high-end equipment and mining innovation
Permanent magnet motors are maintenance-free, with a service life of 100,000 hours and a maintenance cost reduction of 50%. Emerging fields such as humanoid robot joint micromotors and semiconductor equipment precision linear motors all rely on the miniaturization and high-precision characteristics of neodymium iron boron.
The integration of rare earth permanent magnet materials and motor technology has surpassed simple component upgrades and has become the core force driving the global industrial green transformation. Under the global consensus on the “dual carbon” goal, rare earth permanent magnet motors will continue to expand their application boundaries and reshape every power moment from energy production to industrial consumption.
