United States: at age 17 he invents an electric motor without rare earths, but also more economical and more efficient than existing models; he wins a prize of $75,000

A young Florida high school student has developed a technology that could one day revolutionize electric vehicles. In concrete terms, he has developed a synchronous reluctance motor that offers greater torque and efficiency than existing electric motors.

Robert Sansone, originally from Florida, has developed a new type of motor for electric cars. From the height of his 17 years, the young American already has in his prize list no less than 60 projects, ranging from the invention of an animatronic hand to the design of atypical racing boots, through the creation of a kart can drive more than 100 km per hour. However, his greatest achievements revolve around motors for electric cars. Among his latest inventions, there is a synchronous reluctance motor which promises to be more economical and more efficient than existing models.

A design without rare earths

Sansone shared the details of his new work and his great interest in electric car motors with Smithsonian Magazine. According to him, the operation of this equipment requires magnets made from rare earth elements. Unfortunately, the extraction of these minerals is often expensive, not to mention the impact it has on the environment. The young American then focused his research on a synchronous reluctance electric motor that uses neither neodymium nor samarium, even less dysprosium. Although the concept is not totally new, it must be recognized that existing synchronous reluctance motors are not powerful enough to be adapted to electric vehicles. Sansone then created a new model with an improved design.

Proven effectiveness

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