An interesting and quick little blurb about Ford decreasing rare earth metals due to switching over to lithium ion batteries in its new hybrids, but also decreasing their use in the PM (permanent magnet) motors they use.
Ford cuts rare-earths use in new hybrid system
What I found VERY interesting is this quote though:
Quote:
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The company says the Li-ion batteries are 30% less expensive, 25-30% smaller, and 50% lighter.
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They're saying lithium is actually cheaper than NIMH which I have a bit of a hard time accepting. I know Toyota specifically kept using NIMH in the Prius line up because of cost reasons, especially in the Prius C where price was a large concern.