Honda Motor Co. said it is introducing a motor for hybrid vehicles that will not need heavy rare earth minerals, as the nation's carmakers look to circumvent sourcing the materials from China.
Magnets developed by Daido Steel Co. without heavy rare earth minerals will be used starting with the Freed minivan, scheduled to go on sale this fall, Honda said in a statement Tuesday. Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. have also taken steps to reduce their reliance on the materials after China restricted exports beginning in 2010 amid diplomatic disputes with Japan.
China accounts for more than 80 percent of global production of the group of 17 rare earths used in everything from smartphones to electric cars and cruise missiles. The scarcity of rare earth metals and uncertainty of China's export policy are major concerns, Atsushi Hattori, deputy general manager at Daido's specialty steel solutions department, told reporters Tuesday in Tokyo.
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