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China lags in important electric car technology despite rare earths advantage, says permanent magnets scientist
- British scientist Zi-qiang Zhu says Chinese companies produce less valuable innovations on permanent magnet motors, an important component of electric cars
- The comments suggest China faces hurdles in achieving Beijing’s goal of turning advantages in rare earths and research into technological leadership
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Chinese electric carmakers are still lagging behind their foreign rivals in permanent magnet (PM) motor innovation despite the fact that China is the world’s dominant supplier of the rare earth metals required for making them, a top Chinese British scientist said in an interview.
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Zi-qiang Zhu, an electrical engineering professor at the University of Sheffield, said in a group interview this week that Chinese electric vehicle (EV) companies, which include traditional carmakers and new players, are generally relying on less valuable technologies than overseas companies.
“If you look at Toyota, BMW or Nissan, they all have their own innovation in their electric machines. But I don’t see that China has any substantial innovation in new energy vehicles,” Zhu said.
The comments suggest a key weakness in China’s industrial development as Beijing pushes to transform advantages in resources, market size and academic research into technological leadership. While China’s electrical vehicle industry has attracted many investors, including troubled property developer China Evergrande, companies are relying on relatively low-value technologies that are easy to copy, according to Zhu.
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