A 17-year-old student named Robert Sansone has created an electric motor that doesn't rely on rare earth metals, drawing interest from the automotive industry. Rare earth metals are essential in the magnets used in electric motors, but their extraction and use present environmental and geopolitical challenges. As the shift to electric vehicles continues, the reliance on these metals remains a significant obstacle. Sansone's design offers a potential solution, delivering strong performance without the need for rare earth resources. His prototype has sparked interest in an industry eager to reduce its dependence on these strategic materials. At the 2022 Regeneron ISEF, the world's largest science competition for high school students, Sansone presented an innovative type of motor known as a synchronous reluctance motor. These motors are commonly used in devices like fans and pumps, but they have traditionally lacked the power needed for automotive applications. To improve this, Sansone introduced a second magnetic field within the motor to enhance the force that turns the rotor. Using a 3D printer, he crafted the components, hand-wound copper coils, and tested multiple versions of the design. The result was impressive: at 300 revolutions per minute, his motor produced 39 percent more torque and 31 percent greater efficiency than a conventional model. At 750 revolutions per minute, it reached 37 percent higher efficiency. However, when pushed to its thermal limits, the plastic components melted, highlighting the difference between a handmade prototype and the high-speed requirements of electric car motors, such as those used in the Tesla Model Y. Following his success at the competition, where he won first prize, Sansone has enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to pursue engineering studies. Although his motor has not yet been used in production vehicles, the automotive industry has already taken notice. Companies like Renault and BMW are investing in wound rotor motors (EESM), which use electrified copper instead of magnets. Suppliers such as Mahle are working on contactless motors, and Tesla is exploring ways to remove rare earth metals from its future models. Sansone's work has thus anticipated a major technological and geopolitical challenge in the transition to electric mobility. China currently holds a dominant position in the extraction and refining of rare earth metals, which are crucial for many technologies, including electric vehicles. As the demand for electric vehicles grows, reducing reliance on these metals becomes increasingly important. Sansone's innovation offers a glimpse of a future where such dependence may be lessened, potentially reshaping the landscape of electric mobility and global resource dynamics.