IE6 Efficiency Ferrite Motors
Rare-earth-free motors.Available now, not in 2027.
EKMO licenses a production-ready IE6 ferrite motor design — 20–800 kW, frames 225–355+. No neodymium. No dysprosium. No export licenses. Your team manufactures under your brand.
The industry is racing to escape rare-earth dependency.
EKMO is production-ready today.
China's rare-earth export controls — tightened repeatedly since April 2025 — have moved from a trade policy headline to a factory-floor reality. Ford halted production at a North American assembly plant over magnet shortages. Renault/Valeo and Vitesco are developing rare-earth-free motors, but won't ship until 2026–2027 at the earliest. Meanwhile, 45% of global manufacturing executives are actively reshoring or de-risking supply chains (S&P Global, 2025). Every platform decision made this year locks in rare-earth exposure for the next decade.
The competitors are announcing 2027 prototypes. EKMO licenses a finished, validated design — available now.
Ferrite is weaker than neodymium.
Here's how we still match it.
Through electromagnetic design — not raw magnet strength. The tradeoff is engineering complexity, which is exactly what the license transfers.
The conclusion: Ferrite loses on raw magnet strength. It wins on supply chain, cost, and geopolitics. The EKMO design closes the efficiency gap through electromagnetic engineering — the same motor-level IE6 efficiency, without the rare-earth dependency.
Industrial · IE6 Ultra Premium
Industrial motor palette
8 frame sizes, 7.5–800 kW. All IE6 Ultra Premium efficiency. Zero rare-earth content.
E-Mobility motors
Tailored ferrite motor designs for EV and automotive applications — IE6 efficiency, zero rare-earth content, full FEA validation, complete design package.
Calculate your savings
Enter your use case and see the energy cost difference versus an IE3 equivalent motor.
How licensing with EKMO compares
Most motor manufacturers facing rare-earth exposure have three options. Here's how they stack up.
What an EKMO license includes
A complete technology transfer — not a slide deck.
Two ways to engage: license the full design to manufacture in-house, or source finished motors through our partner producers.
How licensing with EKMO works
From first conversation to production line in under 12 months.
Built on 30+ years of ferrite motor engineering
EKMO is not a research project. The motor platform is the latest evolution of ferrite permanent magnet motor designs developed over more than three decades. Proven motor architectures from that work are already certified and in production.
What makes this platform new is the optimization for IE6 efficiency (IEC 60034-30-2): precision electromagnetic design, modern manufacturing tolerances, and integration with current variable-frequency drive systems. The expertise is mature. The product is new.
Built for every industry
The EKMO platform is engineered for any application demanding high efficiency, no rare-earth risk, and production-grade reliability.
Everything you need to know about rare-earth-free IE6 motors
What is a rare-earth-free motor?
A rare-earth-free motor uses ferrite (iron oxide) permanent magnets instead of neodymium (NdFeB) or dysprosium-containing magnets. Ferrite is abundant, globally available, and carries no export-license restrictions. EKMO's ferrite design achieves IE6 Ultra Premium efficiency without any rare-earth content.
What is an IE6 motor?
IE6 Ultra Premium (IEC 60034-30-2) is the highest efficiency class defined — reducing losses by ~20% versus IE4. EU MEPS regulations are pushing toward IE5 minimums by 2027, with IE6 entering certification frameworks. EKMO's ferrite design meets IE6 from day one.
How does ferrite motor licensing work?
EKMO licenses its complete IE6 ferrite motor design — CAD files, BOM, manufacturing docs, and know-how — to motor manufacturers. Licensees produce under their own brand. Lump-sum fee plus per-unit royalty. Production-ready in under 12 months. EKMO does not manufacture.
Who makes neodymium-free industrial motors today?
EKMO (Slovenia) is the only company licensing a production-ready IE6 ferrite motor design — 20–800 kW, frame 225–355+. Renault/Valeo and Vitesco have announced programs, but are not yet in production as of mid-2026. EKMO's design is available now.
Most common questions about licensing
Is your technology actually validated, or is this still in research?
What IP do you actually hold?
What's the commercial model?
What happens if EKMO is no longer operating?
Can ferrite really deliver IE6 performance?
What power ranges are supported?
About EKMO
EKMO is a specialist motor design house based in Slovenia. Our focus is narrow and deep: ferrite permanent magnet motor designs that reach IE6 efficiency without any rare-earth content. 30+ years of ferrite engineering in one place.
We don't manufacture motors. We license production-ready designs and know-how to the motor manufacturers who do. A licensee gets complete CAD, BOM, manufacturing process documentation, and engineering support — and can be in production in under 12 months. No neodymium. No dysprosium. No export-license exposure.
Being small is the point. The engineering depth is here. The decision is fast. The license is available now — while larger competitors are still on 2027 roadmaps.
Based in Slovenia
Get in touch
A 60-minute conversation under NDA to discuss your application, our motor platform, and licensing terms.