Recently, there has been exciting news related to the rare earth industry. In August, my country's new energy vehicle sales reached 101,000 units, an increase of 49.5% over the same period of the previous year. Among them, the sales of pure electric vehicles were 73,000, an increase of 31.7% over the same period of the previous year; from January to August, the sales of new energy vehicles were 601,000, an increase of 88% over the same period of the previous year. Among them, the sales of pure electric vehicles were 447,000 units, an increase of 71.6% over the same period of the previous year.

Sales numbers speak louder than words. Since the promotion of new energy vehicles in my country in 2009, relevant policies have been issued intensively in 2017, which has greatly promoted the volume of new energy vehicles. Numerous benefits have thrown olive branches to new energy vehicles, which has prompted them to be highly sought after in a short period of time. Especially for hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles, miniaturized and high-power drive motors are necessary, and now these motors use a large amount of rare earths.

My country is rich in rare earth resources, especially light rare earth resources, which account for the largest proportion in the world, and lanthanum and cerium used for the production of hydrogen storage materials are the main elements in light rare earths. The rare earth hydrogen storage materials used in the production of new energy vehicles - nickel-metal hydride batteries are mainly lanthanum and cerium, which are currently put into use in large quantities to promote the development of rare earth enterprises in China.

In February 2016, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued the "National Key R&D Plan for New Energy Vehicles Key Special Implementation Plan", which plans to establish a complete electric vehicle power system technology system and industrial chain by 2020, so as to achieve the number of new energy vehicles in 2020. Provide technical support to 5 million vehicles.

Some people may ask, how much rare earth do 5 million new energy vehicles need? The answer from people in the industry is: a fully automatic luxury car needs to consume about 0.5kg~3.5kg of rare earth permanent magnet materials. There are more applications of NdFeB materials in new energy vehicles. Each hybrid vehicle consumes about 3kg NdFeB more than traditional vehicles. Pure electric vehicles use rare earth permanent magnet motors to replace traditional generators, and use up to 5kg~10kg NdFe boron.

That is to say, according to the demand for rare earths of 5 million new energy vehicles, it will drive the development capacity of at least 25,000 tons of rare earth mines, which is equivalent to the current annual output of rare earths in the north. And my country's annual rare earth smelting and separation quota is only 100,000 tons.

At the beginning of this year, Li Wei, director of the Department of Raw Materials Industry of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, pointed out at the inauguration meeting of the upstream and downstream cooperation mechanism of rare earth permanent magnet materials for driving motors of new energy vehicles in China, that the driving motor is the "heart" of new energy vehicles, and rare earth permanent magnets are the "heart" of new energy vehicles. Magnetic materials are the materials of choice for driving motors. The rare earth permanent magnet drive motor can greatly reduce the weight of the motor, reduce the size of the motor, and improve the work efficiency.

The development of new energy vehicles is bound to become the general trend of the future development of the automobile industry, and the development of this industry is bound to drive the vigorous development of a large number of related industries such as the rare earth industry. Especially for hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles, miniaturized and high-power drive motors are necessary, and now these motors require a large number of rare earth magnets.

Facts have proved that the development of new energy vehicles has undoubtedly given wings to the development of the rare earth industry. According to some data, since the emergence of new energy vehicles in my country, the use of rare earths has increased exponentially due to the close connection between rare earths and new energy vehicles.

Faced with such an opportunity, relevant departments should work with enterprises to establish an upstream and downstream cooperation mechanism, break down various boundaries between industries and within the industry, and focus on building platforms, research plans, cooperative development, and building systems. Automobiles, drive motors, and rare earth permanent magnet materials have truly become new highlights of a manufacturing powerhouse.