Renault Group, Valeo and Valeo Siemens eAutomotive have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic partnership for the design, co-development and manufacture in France of an automotive electric motor that eliminates the use of rare earths.
Under the partnership, each of the three partners will contribute to the development and production of the two key parts of the electric motor: the rotor and the stator.
Renault will develop and produce the EESM (electrically excited synchronous motor) rotor technology, with the overall architecture of the all-in-one motor also designed by Renault.
Valeo and Valeo Siemens eAutomotive will develop and produce the stator, leveraging Valeo’s expertise in copper wire assembly. Thanks to the use of a higher density of copper in the stator, Valeo is confident the power density of the motor will match rare earth-based units, with a target output of 200kW. Production is slated for 2027, to be undertaken at Renault’s Cléon plant in Normandy, France.
Luca de Meo, Renault Group’s CEO, commented, “We are delighted to be partnering with Valeo, whose know-how is recognized the world over. Together, we will design and develop a new generation of high-tech electric motors, produced at our Cléon plant. This partnership is further demonstration of our capacity to be at the forefront of the electric revolution taking place in the automotive industry and to anchor the new automotive value chain in France.”