Conifer’s rare-earth-free electric motors could reduce global dependence on China

These Electric Motors Could Help Break the World’s Dependence on China

Conifer’s iron-magnet axial-flux motors offer a cost-effective, scalable alternative to rare-earth-based designs

With China controlling 90% of the world’s supply of rare-earth minerals, global manufacturers have long faced the risk of supply disruptions and trade-driven retaliation. Now, a Silicon Valley startup called Conifer believes it has a solution: electric motors that require no rare-earth materials at all.

Led by co-founders Yateendra Deshpande—a veteran of Apple and Lucid Motors—and Ankit Somani, formerly of Oracle and Google, Conifer is pioneering a low-cost, easily manufactured electric motor using iron-based permanent magnets. The company’s goal: to create a scalable powertrain solution for everything from scooters and HVAC systems to full-sized electric vehicles.

“There was a lot of energy going into batteries, but not nearly enough into electric powertrains,” said Somani, Conifer’s CEO. “We wanted to rethink it from the ground up.”

The axial-flux design breakthrough

Most electric motors today rely on radial-flux architecture and rare-earth magnets like neodymium and dysprosium to deliver performance. Conifer has opted instead for an axial-flux design—a concept with centuries-old roots but modern potential thanks to advanced power electronics and software controls.

Rather than wrapping copper coils around a central shaft, axial-flux motors use a “magnetic sandwich” of spinning and stationary steel plates, with magnets mounted on their surface. This configuration allows Conifer’s motors to place larger, iron-based magnets farther from the central shaft, generating the necessary torque even without rare-earth strength.

While axial-flux motors have historically been hard to manufacture, Conifer’s team developed a simplified process that skips traditional metal stamping and borrows techniques from battery production for copper winding. The result: a motor that’s efficient, affordable, and tariff-proof.

Scalable tech for global mobility

Conifer’s first commercial application is a drop-in replacement motor for electric scooters, targeting markets across Asia where two-wheelers dominate. The startup has also built larger motor variants suitable for appliances and vehicles, with long-term ambitions to power compact highway-ready EVs within the next four years.

The technology is already being deployed by Lyra Energy, a Los Angeles startup building the “Tesla of two-wheelers” for the developing world. Lyra plans to roll out its first fleet in Indonesia, a country with a booming scooter market.

“Conifer gives us supply-chain flexibility and the potential to reduce system costs over time,” said Criswell Choi, Lyra’s CEO.

The motors are not only comparable in cost to traditional alternatives but also 20% more efficient, potentially extending vehicle range—a critical advantage in markets where charging infrastructure remains limited.

In-wheel motors and the EV design challenge

Conifer’s axial-flux design is ideal for in-wheel motor configurations, a long-sought goal for vehicle engineers due to potential improvements in efficiency and traction. Most existing EVs use centralized motors, which require complex drivetrains.

Shifting to in-wheel motors would require significant changes in vehicle architecture—a difficult proposition for legacy automakers. However, EV startups may be more willing to embrace radical designs, especially as they seek to avoid the rising costs and geopolitical risk of rare-earth supply chains.

“If manufacturers are willing to ditch the design that’s dominated for over a century, there is a growing number of alternatives,” said James Edmondson, research director at IDTechEx.

Toward a rare-earth-free supply chain

Conifer is part of a broader wave of innovation aimed at relocalizing and diversifying supply chains for electrification. Emerging battery chemistries are reducing dependence on cobalt and lithium. Domestic semiconductor manufacturing is ramping up. And companies like Conifer are building motors from materials sourced almost anywhere.

If this momentum holds, a future where electric vehicles are built entirely without rare-earth elements—and within the borders of North America—is increasingly within reach.

By replacing rare-earth magnets with common materials like iron, Conifer is betting on a motor design that not only lowers costs but also shields manufacturers from trade volatility. In doing so, the startup may play a pivotal role in shaping a more resilient, decentralized future for clean transportation.

Stay tuned to The Horizons Times for more on breakthrough technologies transforming global supply chains and the EV industry.