Ola Electric gets nod for rare-earth-free ferrite motor

Ola Electric has become the first Indian two-wheeler EV maker to secure government certification for an in-house rare-earth-free ferrite motor.

The Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC), Tamil Nadu, granted certification after the motor underwent rigorous performance verification and motor power tests carried out to the AIS 041 standard. Testing confirmed the ferrite-magnet design matches the efficiency, performance and durability of rare-earth permanent-magnet motors in the 7 kW and 11 kW variants.

Ferrite magnets avoid critical rare-earth elements, significantly reducing material costs and exposure to volatile imports while improving supply-chain resilience. First shown at Ola’s Sankalp 2025 event in August, the motor will be integrated across the company’s product lineup to enhance affordability, sustainability and production scale for millions of riders in India.

Broad adoption of ferrite motors in small EVs could ease reliance on imported rare earths and geopolitical price pressures without sacrificing real-world performance.