Modal Motors is trying to cut China out of electric motors entirely
News Source
β’Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:05:00 +0000
π° What Happened
A startup called Modal Motors wants to build electric motors in the US without using rare-earth magnets. Founder Michael Van Steenburg says this would cut the US away from China's supply chain.
The company is developing two products for TechCrunch Disrupt next month. One is a small motor for drones, fans, blowers and actuators. The other is the Hybrid Enigma Drive, a flat motor that fits in low spaces.
Van Steenburg has spent about a decade building electric motors in the US. He says other firms are bringing work home but still copy Chinese designs and rely on rare-earth magnets.
π The Backstory
China has restricted access to rare-earth products more than once. Rare-earth magnets are a key part of many electric motors used in drones, robots and cars.
US production of rare-earth magnets is still years away, Van Steenburg says. That means companies that wait for it could stay dependent on China.
In the late 1990s he worked on a hybrid petrol-electric drivetrain for China's "People's Car". He calls the way the world has changed "kind of comical".
π― Why It Matters
Electric motors power drones, robots and cars. Making them without rare earths could make supply chains safer and less reliant on one country.
A startup called Modal Motors wants to build electric motors in the US without using rare-earth magnets. Founder Michael Van Steenburg says this would cut the US away from China's supply chain.
The company is developing two products for TechCrunch Disrupt next month. One is a small motor for drones, fans, blowers and actuators. The other is the Hybrid Enigma Drive, a flat motor that fits in low spaces.
Van Steenburg has spent about a decade building electric motors in the US. He says other firms are bringing work home but still copy Chinese designs and rely on rare-earth magnets.
China has restricted access to rare-earth products more than once. Rare-earth magnets are a key part of many electric motors used in drones, robots and cars.
US production of rare-earth magnets is still years away, Van Steenburg says. That means companies that wait for it could stay dependent on China.
In the late 1990s he worked on a hybrid petrol-electric drivetrain for China's "People's Car". He calls the way the world has changed "kind of comical".
Electric motors power drones, robots and cars. Making them without rare earths could make supply chains safer and less reliant on one country.