Tesla does not use rare earth metals in our battery or motor.
The HN Title [1] should be changed, as it is in effect editorializing beyond the information provided, IMHO. As others have noted, there is no information to suggest the statement is generally true, beyond these two sub-system components.
[1] Currently: "No rare earth metals in the Model S"
there are almost certainly rare earth metals in the speakers, for example, although the mass would be relatively cheap compared to what you would need for a motor.
Does the tesla have regenerative braking system, and I wonder if there are rare earth metals there?
Which is a completely different thing than a rare earth metal. (Which incidentally are not rare or precious.)
To be fair, the group is badly named, but rare earth metals has a very precise meaning -- if something is not one of the lanthanides, Scandium, or Yttrium, it's not REE.
Does the tesla have regenerative braking system, and I wonder if there are rare earth metals there?
As far as I understand it, they use the motors for regenerative breaking, and the motors don't contain permanent magnets. Where permanent magnets would be used, they use more coils, and thus can vary the strength of the magnetic fields, much like your car's alternator. This is also how they forgo the need for a gear box.
Comments
Tesla does not use rare earth metals in our battery or motor.
The HN Title [1] should be changed, as it is in effect editorializing beyond the information provided, IMHO. As others have noted, there is no information to suggest the statement is generally true, beyond these two sub-system components.
[1] Currently: "No rare earth metals in the Model S"
there are almost certainly rare earth metals in the speakers, for example, although the mass would be relatively cheap compared to what you would need for a motor.
Does the tesla have regenerative braking system, and I wonder if there are rare earth metals there?
They have a 17" display in the dashboard. That certainly has some rare earths in it combined with all the latest electronics.
Here is an article: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/physics/rare-earth-element...
Good point. Almost every capacitive touchscreen uses a vapor-deposited coating of indium tin oxide (ITO) as a transparent conductor.
Granted, it's a microscopic amount of indium, but still.
Indium isn't a rare earth element, is it?
Technically, its a (rare) precious metal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precious_metal
Which is a completely different thing than a rare earth metal. (Which incidentally are not rare or precious.)
To be fair, the group is badly named, but rare earth metals has a very precise meaning -- if something is not one of the lanthanides, Scandium, or Yttrium, it's not REE.
Technically it's not in the set of rare earth metals, though it is rare (at least in naturally occurring and isolated form).
And rare earth metals are not rare. So it's completely different.
Agreed, it is not: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_element
More generally, do they have any statement on "conflict-free" sourcing of minerals used in their electrics/electronics?
http://www.enoughproject.org/conflict-minerals
As far as I understand it, they use the motors for regenerative breaking, and the motors don't contain permanent magnets. Where permanent magnets would be used, they use more coils, and thus can vary the strength of the magnetic fields, much like your car's alternator. This is also how they forgo the need for a gear box.
Agreed. Quite a few high-strength steel alloys contain Vanadium as well.
Tesla's chasis and body are made of aluminum. There is very little steel in a tesla model s.
Are you certain of this fact? I know the Roadster was made by Lotus out of extruded & epoxied aluminum, but what about the sedan?
And? Vanadium is not one of the REE.
Clearly, the editors are holders of TSLA.