日本本田汽車已經(jīng)聯(lián)合其他公司開發(fā)出了世界上第一臺不使用重稀土的混合動(dòng)力汽車電動(dòng)機(jī)。本田稱這會降低它對這種主要產(chǎn)自中國的昂貴材料的依賴。

在許多發(fā)達(dá)國家，集汽油發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)和電動(dòng)機(jī)于一身的混合動(dòng)力汽車越來越受歡迎，但鏑和鋱等稀土元素的穩(wěn)定供給一直是個(gè)問題。

受領(lǐng)土主權(quán)糾紛影響，中國曾在2010年臨時(shí)禁止向日本出口稀土礦。

作為日本第三大汽車廠商，本田本周二表示，該公司的新電機(jī)采用了大同特殊鋼有限公司開發(fā)的不含鏑和鋱的磁體。

本田指出，這使作為電機(jī)關(guān)鍵部件的磁體的生產(chǎn)成本下降了10%左右，還將其重量減輕了近8%。

新電機(jī)將用于下一代Freed小型MPV，后者定于今年秋季發(fā)布，目前Freed的銷售范圍包括日本和其他亞洲市場。

本田表示，它從10年前開始著眼于減少重稀土的使用，2011年稀土價(jià)格猛漲則促成了該公司和大同特殊鋼公司的合作。

本田一位高層對記者說：“這項(xiàng)技術(shù)將降低我們的成本，并減少價(jià)格波動(dòng)對我們的影響。”

重新設(shè)計(jì)的電機(jī)仍使用了輕稀土元素釹，北美、澳大利亞和中國都有這種礦藏。

包括油電混合動(dòng)力車、插電式混合動(dòng)力車、充電電動(dòng)汽車以及燃料電池汽車在內(nèi)，新能源汽車目前占本田所有產(chǎn)品的5%左右，該公司的目標(biāo)是到2030年把這個(gè)比重提高到三分之二。 （財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：Charlie

校對：詹妮

Japan’s Honda Motor Co ?HMC?1.12%? has co-developed the world’s first hybrid car motor without using heavy rare earth metals, which it says will reduce its dependence on the expensive materials mainly supplied by China.

Hybrid vehicles combining a gasoline engine and electric motor have become increasingly popular in many developed countries, but sourcing a steady supply of rare earth elements such as dysprosium and terbium has been a challenge.

In 2010 China imposed a temporary ban on exports of rare earth minerals to Japan as the two nations engaged in territorial disputes.

Honda, Japan’s third-largest automaker, said on Tuesday that its new motors used magnets developed by Daido Steel Co that do not contain dysprosium and terbium.

This reduced the cost of producing the magnets, a key component in motors, by about 10 percent while making them nearly 8 percent lighter, Honda said.

The new motors will be used in the next Freed minivan, which is sold in Japan and other Asian markets, to be unveiled in the autumn.

Honda started looking to reduce the use of heavy rare earth metals 10 years ago, but a spike in prices around 2011 prompted the tie-up with Daido, the company said.

“This technology will lower our costs and reduce our exposure to price fluctuations,” a Honda official told reporters.

The redesigned motor still uses the light rare earth element neodymium, which is found in North America and Australia, as well as China.

Honda is aiming for new-energy vehicles, including gasoline-electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery-electric and fuel cell vehicles to account for two thirds of its line-up by 2030, from around 5 percent now.