For years, electric vehicle technology has been pushed towards motors that do not require permanent magnets. Now, LUT University has developed a magnet-free electric motor, the performance of which can be close to that of permanent magnet motors. The new synchronous reluctance motor structure has been developed in a project led by Jussi Sopanen, Professor of Machine Dynamics at LUT.
“A permanent magnet electric motor has so far been the most suitable option for electric vehicles because it gives the vehicle a higher power density and high efficiency. However, a magnet-free motor has been identified as a significant development target at all levels in Europe if we want to continue electrification,” says Lassi Aarniovuori, Professor of Electric Mobility at LUT.
Electrification increases the need for permanent magnets also outside of driving. They are needed, for example, in wind power and marine generators, both of which require significantly larger amounts of magnetic material compared to car motors. At the same time, magnet-free motors are not as realistic an option for them as they are for vehicles.
“When everything is being electrified at the same time and permanent magnets are needed everywhere, there simply isn’t enough raw materials,” Aarniovuori explains.
Why do we want to get rid of permanent magnets in electric motors?
The main raw material for permanent magnets is neodymium, which belongs to the rare earth metals. Currently, the world trade in rare earth elements is dominated by China, which has regulated their availability for its own benefit.
To ensure the availability of rare earth elements and other critical raw materials, the EU has developed a Critical Raw Materials Act to improve access within the EU and strengthen the EU's strategic autonomy.
Even if the EU achieves even partial self-sufficiency, another problem is ahead. The extraction of rare earth elements is often difficult, as their concentrations in the bedrock are low and the deposits are scattered. Recycling permanent magnets is also complicated, as the separation of metals from the motor must be done by hand.
“In practice, the magnets have to be destroyed and rebuilt,” Aarniovuori says.
Magnet-free motors are also likely to become mainstream in cars
A magnet-free electric motor is not a new thing as such. They have been used, for example, in household appliances for a long time. However, they are still marginal in vehicle use.
Of the car manufacturers, BMW and Renault use a magnet-free motor in their electric cars, but Tesla, Mercedes Benz, as well as Chinese and Japanese manufacturers, for example, mainly rely on permanent magnets. In 2024, as many as 83 percent of the motors used in all electric vehicles were based on permanent magnets.
Aarniovuori and Sopanen believe that in the long run, magnet-free motors will almost completely replace permanently magnetized ones in vehicle use.
“I believe that the automotive industry, for example, is trying to develop solutions that are as affordable as possible in terms of production costs and that do not involve availability risks. Magnet-free motors meet these criteria. Permanent magnets may only remain in use in sports cars, where the engine's peak power is needed,” Aarniovuori says.
The electric motor developed by LUT received a significant grant
Reluctance motors, including the new synchronous reluctance motor developed by LUT, have previously been used at lower power levels in both industry and household appliances. However, their mechanical isthmuses have so far not been able to withstand the rotational speed required by electric vehicles. The motor developed at LUT is a bridgeless in which there are basically no isthmuses at all.
“Based on the tests, the motor has better characteristics than other similar engines and is more durable. At the moment, we have a proof-of-concept version of the motor and its performance seems good. The biggest challenge is to make the manufacturing process cost-effective enough to be suitable for serial production,” says Jussi Sopanen.
In fact, the motor has been estimated to have such potential that its follow-up research project received the largest grant awarded by the Technology Industries of Finland 100th Anniversary Foundation in December 2025, EUR 635,000. The funding will enable the construction of a new prototype and its testing with the University of Oulu's Sisu research truck.
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Various magnet-free motor technologies will be needed in the future
Although a synchronous reluctance motor seems to have a lot of potential, magnet-free motors will never reach the properties of permanent magnetized. This is due to the laws of physics.
Electric motors require a magnetic field to create torque. In permanent magnet motors, the magnetic field comes for free, as it were, while magnet-free motors require energy to create it. Therefore, the peak power of permanent magnet motors is typically high.
“In the end, however, it is a question of the optimal characteristics of the electric motor. Most drivers will never need their vehicle's peak power. And the typical driving power of permanent magnet motors is not the same as peak power,” Sopanen says.
Most drivers will never need their vehicle's peak power.
The typical driving power of a car is realised in driving cycles, i.e. the number of times the car is used. In the end, the differences between a permanently magnetized and a magnet-free motor depend on which characteristics are compared. For example, in terms of the vehicle's range, a magnet-free motor is likely to lose only 1–2 per cent to a permanent magnet motor.
However, abandoning permanent magnets does not mean a victory for a single, specific electric motor technology. Different technologies will probably be used side by side.
“Heavy transport and industry are also being electrified. In summary, we could say that there is a need for different types of technologies and their applications, which is why we also need more research,” Sopanen says.
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