Rare Earth Metals Supply: The Next Microchip Crisis?
With the heightened scrutiny of automotive contributions to climate change, automakers’ full attention is focused on electric vehicles (EVs). The electrification of transportation will help reduce reliance on fossil fuels, eliminate tailpipe emissions and help mitigate climate change. EVs, however, have a challenge: rare earth metals in their motors.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211201005051/en/
Tula’s DMD™ Dynamic Motor Drive paired with synchronous reluctance motors (pictured here) could help lower EV production costs. (Photo: Business Wire)
Rare earth metals are not rare in nature, but rarely are they concentrated in amounts that make extraction and processing economically feasible. Demand for rare earth metals is increasing in conjunction with the transition to an electrified future. The anticipated supply-demand imbalance, supply-chain management issues and escalating costs are causing automakers to look for other options.
Tula Technology, Inc., a leader in propulsion efficiency, recently authored a whitepaper titled “Rare Earth Materials and their Impact on the Future of Electric Motors,” that highlights the challenges associated with rare earth metals used in EV motors and offers practical alternatives.
Tula’s Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD™), a patented DMD pulse density strategy, avoids rare earth metals in EV motors by deploying synchronous reluctance motors (SynRMs), which typically do not utilize rare earth metals. The unique control algorithms implemented through DMD improve the efficiency of SynRMs, positioning them as a viable alternative to the permanent magnet motors used in the vast majority of EVs today.
“The limited supply of rare earths, coupled with growth in demand, has resulted in price increases that are likely to continue. Beyond pricing, rare earth dependence is increasing supply chain risk, and it could easily become the next microchip crisis for the automotive industry,” said R. Scott Bailey, president and CEO of Tula. “EV manufacturers can implement an economical solution while avoiding the challenges of rare earth metals by combining synchronous reluctance motors with DMD. Our solution could lead to broader consumer adoption of EVs by lowering costs.”
DMD provides the greatest benefit for off-grid applications like EVs where battery capacity or range are concerns. The benefits of DMD also can be substantial wherever motors and generators are used, such as home appliances, industrial motors or wind power generators.
Advancing the conversation and awareness around EV technologies, Tula engineers recently presented “Optimizing Electric Motor Controls with Dynamic Motor Drive” at the 2021 Aachen Colloquium on Sustainable Mobility, an annual conference held in Aachen, Germany, as well as the Aachen China Colloquium. Both conferences attract automotive experts and researchers from around the world to exchange ideas on future mobility.
For more information on Dynamic Motor Drive, visit tulatech.com/dmd.
About Tula Technology, Inc.
Silicon Valley-based Tula Technology provides innovative award-winning software controls to optimize propulsion efficiency and emissions across the mobility spectrum, including gasoline-powered, diesel, alternative fuel, hybrid, and electric vehicles. Tula’s culture of innovation has resulted in breakthrough technologies and a robust global patent portfolio of more than 380 patents issued and pending. Tula Technology is a privately held company backed by Sequoia Capital, Sigma Partners, Khosla Ventures, GM Ventures, BorgWarner and Franklin Templeton. More information is available at www.tulatech.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211201005051/en/
Contact information
Tula Technology, Inc.
Ram Subramanian
Principal Marketing Strategist
ram@tulatech.com
Media: Financial Profiles
Debbie Douglas, SVP
ddouglas@finprofiles.com
949-375-3436
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Kinaxis Announces Normal Course Issuer Bid6.11.2025 00:00:00 EET | Press release
Kinaxis® Inc. (“Kinaxis” or the “Company”) (TSX: KXS) is pleased to announce that the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) has accepted a notice (the “Notice”) filed by the Company of its intention to make a normal course issuer bid (the “NCIB”). In connection with the NCIB, the Company has entered into an automatic share purchase plan (an “ASPP”) with its designated broker to allow for purchases of its common shares (the “Shares”). The Notice provides that the Company may, during the 12-month period commencing November 12, 2025 and ending November 11, 2026, or on such earlier date as Kinaxis completes its purchases or provides notice of termination, purchase up to 1,403,042 Shares in total, representing approximately 5% of the issued and outstanding Shares as at October 31, 2025. As of the close of business on October 31, 2025, the Company had 28,060,844 Shares issued and outstanding. Except for block purchases permitted under the rules of the TSX, the number of Shares to be purchased p
Hyper ® Wins Dual CES 2026 Innovation Awards ® for its Breakthrough Tech Accessories5.11.2025 23:50:00 EET | Press release
Hyper®, a leader in mobile tech accessories for creators and power users, today announced it has been honored with two CES2026 Innovation Awards® in the Consumer Peripherals and Accessories category. These awards reflect Hyper’s mission to build breakthrough solutions that help users create, connect, and go beyond the limits of their devices. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251105297377/en/ CES Innovation Awards® 2026 Honorees: HyperSpace™ Trackpad Pro and HyperDrive® Next redefine haptics, personalization, and next-gen USB4 V2 speed. The CES Innovation Awards program is an annual competition that honors the most innovative, new products in consumer technology, recognizing top innovations across multiple categories. “For 20 years, Hyper has led the tech accessory space with industry-defining ‘world’s firsts’ in power, connectivity, mobility, and desktop solutions,” said Gabi Iorio, Director of Global Marketing
CWAN Reports 800+ AI Agents Now Available for Deployment Across $10 Trillion in Client Assets5.11.2025 23:15:00 EET | Press release
Clearwater Analytics (NYSE: CWAN), the most comprehensive technology platform for investment management, today announced the global deployment of CWAN GenAI, a newly-launched, embedded generative AI platform that can be deployed to transform investment management, risk management, reporting and operations across more than $10 trillion in institutional assets. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251105092732/en/ What sets CWAN GenAI apart from the experimental AI tools flooding the market is its production-ready integration. Unlike copilots or chat tools layered onto legacy systems, CWAN GenAI is fully integrated and deployed into production on CWAN’s front-to-back platform, enabling clients to work alongside AI as collaborative partners in their investment operations. The platform currently supports 800+ AI agents created by CWAN clients and internal teams, plus 20 highly trained domain-specific agents. These agen
IonQ and Swiss Consortium Launch First Citywide Dedicated Quantum Network in Geneva5.11.2025 23:04:00 EET | Press release
IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), the world’s leading quantum company, with luminary Swiss partners, successfully deployed a citywide quantum network in Geneva, Switzerland. This consortium of world-class academic, enterprise, and public institutions will advance quantum cybersecurity and communications research, collaboration, and innovation. The new infrastructure, named the Geneva Quantum Network (GQN), is the nation’s first dedicated quantum network connecting key institutions across the region. “Our involvement in the GQN alongside globally-renowned companies such as Rolex and research leaders like CERN, underscores our IP and pioneering leadership in quantum cybersecurity and communication,” said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ. “IonQ is leveraging existing fiber optic infrastructure to link partners across the Geneva region. Our partnership with leading universities, government, and industry players in Geneva is enabling real-world quantum communications, accelerating research, and b
PPG sets paint stirring world record at SEMA 2025 to highlight benefits of new automated system for body shops5.11.2025 20:41:00 EET | Press release
PPG (NYSE: PPG) today announced that it achieved a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest simultaneous paint stirring challenge during a customer event at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. More than 275 participants stirred paint together to highlight the manual effort still common in collision repair before PPG unveiled its new SEM MIX’N’SHAKE™ automated stirring solution. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251105923792/en/ More than 275 participants simultaneously stirred paint at SEMA 2025 as PPG breaks the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest paint stirring challenge as it unveiled the SEM Mix’n’Shake™ automated stirring system. The SEM Mix’n’Shake system produces a fully homogenized car paint mix in less than 60 seconds. By automating this step, body shops can reduce rework and recover up to 6% more productive work hours annually. The system also improves paint consistency, efficiency and work
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom