Recent vehicles equip motors and actuators for travelling performance, safety, comfortability, convenience and energy saving. One luxury Japanese vehicle contains more than 100 motors inside. Most motors in vehicles are DC brush motors using ferrite magnets. As automotive motors require high power and efficiency, the use of NEOMAX^® is increasing. Two major applications of NEOMAX^® are motor/generator of hybrid electric vehicle(HEV) and electric power steering(EPS). NEOMAX^® is also used for other motors, actuators, sensors and speakers as shown in the drawing below.

Japanese hybrid cars run about 80% futher than the best non-hybrids with same amount of fuel.
Cost and reliability are key factors for automotive motors. IPM motor is generally used in HEV as in compressor motors in air conditioners. High coercivity type NEOMAX^® is used to meet higher heat resistance.
About 0.5 million HEV were sold in 2007. It is just a 0.7% of all vehicles. HEV demand is increaseng, and there is a plenty room to grow.
Battery electric vehicles/plug-in hybrid vehicles also uses Neodymium magnets, and are expected to be widely sold in the near future.

EPS is said to improve fuel efficiency about 2 to 5%. 20 million (33%) vehicles equip EPS in 2007, and the number is increasing.

EPS motor requires low cogging torque/torque ripple. Anisotropic ring magnet is a common solution for the requirements. The merits are rotational symmetries and high productivity of rotors. There are two types of anisotropic ring magnets:

1. Radial anisotropic
2. Multi-pole anisotropic

The comparison table is shown below.