Volkswagen Scandal Could Be a Plus For Rare Earths

Writing for Profit Confidential, Alessandro Bruno suggested that the scandal surrounding Volkswagen’s use of defeat devices to cheat on emissions tests could be a positive for rare earths.
As quoted in the publication:

Ironically, on the eve of the Frankfurt Motor Show, VW’s outgoing CEO announced that the car maker would be offering 20 models with either electric or plug-in hybrid power. With the present state of things, the scandal is likely to accelerate this revolution, which will translate to higher demand for materials needed to make batteries, electric motors, and rare earths in particular.

Bruno also stated:

This is only the first step for America, because the key to the exploitation in the rare earth is not only the research and production of minerals, but also the separation of rare earth oxides to refined products. The United States has yet to reactivate the production of rare earths outside of China, even if they are trying to rebuild the rare earth sector. Much of production has shifted to China, for the usual reason as to why in recent years everything has moved there.
Among rare earth elements, dysprosium is the one to watch where hybrid cars are concerned. Dysprosium is also used in wind turbine generators and in related magnets. Now is the time to consider investing in dysprosium. Along with holmium, it has the highest magnetic strength among all elements, which means it is ideal for electric motors.

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