NIT Karnataka will develop electric vehicle motors without any rare-earth materials

The Centre for System Design (CSD) of NIT Karnataka, Surathkal, will develop indigenous magnet-electric motors for EVs without any rare-earth elements. The project, funded by the 

Anusandhan National Research Foundation. (ANRF), Govt of India, will be completed under the centre’s Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas (MAHA)-Electric Vehicle (EV) Mission, TOI reported.

Under the project’s title, “'Rare Earth Magnet Free Axial Flux Synchronous, Radial Flux Switched Reluctance Motor and their Controllers for FV Applications,” the CSD will get Rs 10.3 crore in funding, as per the institution’s website. 

EV mobility has been designated by ANRF as the MAHA program's top priority area of focus. NITK will be in charge of the project, and three prestigious universities-IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing in Thiruvananthapuram- will collaborate with it.

Under the program, NITK has been chosen as one of the seven Electric Mobility Nodes (E-Nodes). Among the seven, two E Nodes will concentrate on tropicalized EV cell and battery technologies (TV I), three will work on power electronics and drives (TV-11), and two will work on FV charging infrastructure (TV III), the report added.