In the German auto supply industry and now also in the electrical industry, concern is increasing of bottlenecks in rare earths. The metals that come mainly from China is required for the production of electric motors and e-car batteries. On Thursday, according to Reuters, the Swabian supplier Mahle said that one could see the risk of production failures. “We currently still have stocks. But we see the risk of production interruptions,” said a spokesman. A task force was set up with the aim of reducing the dependence on rare earths. The Swabians have been working on corresponding technologies for a long time, for example on magnetic-free electric motors. But from one day to the next, the metals are hard to replace. China, as the greatest exporter, is probably not only used as a demonstration of power against the United States, but should also address Brussels, which has imposed punitive tariffs on Chinese electric cars.
