An Asian automotive giant has leveraged aluminium-wound motor technology designed by Newcastle-based Advanced Electric Machines (AEM) for potential use in high-volume passenger vehicles, following the vulnerable copper supply chain affecting the global EV industry.
Where performance and price once dominated decision-making in the EV industry, procurement considerations have now taken centre stage. The volatility in the mineral geopolitics has made the situation even more vulnerable. Copper, which has so far been a default choice for motor windings, has now become a point of vulnerability, with almost 50% of copper’s global refining capacity being concentrated in one region. This has exposed automakers to strategic blockage and price concerns.
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The UK Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy, published in November 2025, projects demand for copper rising from 922,200 tonnes in 2027 to 3,619,000 tonnes by 2035. The paper labels copper concentration a strategic risk and earmarks up to £50 million ( USD 66.2 million) for technologies that help diversify supply chains.
At this point, AEM is stepping forward with its compressed aluminium winding system as a replacement for the copper-designed systems. The idea is to free electric motors from copper without compromising performance. Moreover, the architecture of the aluminium winding system maintains power density while improving energy efficiency through its electrodynamic behaviour.
Since aluminium’s refining network is spread across multiple regions, it significantly reduces geopolitical exposure, which was the key reason behind copper supply chain inconsistencies. In the words of James Widmer, AEM’s CEO, “OEMs are evaluating motor technologies not just on performance metrics, but on strategic supply chain resilience. Our aluminium winding architecture addresses critical sourcing vulnerabilities while delivering measurable efficiency improvements and enhanced end-of-life recyclability.”
The aluminium-winding contract follows a recent tier-1 supplier agreement for AEM’s rare-earth-free SSRD motor, signalling wider interest in material-diverse drivetrains.
Read More: South Korea’s EV sector splits into two realities, but aluminium consumption remains unshaken
Engineering and end-of-life advantages
Aluminium offers more than supply security: its global availability and lowers costs broaden supplier list and support easy scaling. In addition, aluminium-wound motors’ thermal behaviour will reduce energy use per kilometre, which will be a modest gain indeed in mass production.
Recycling is another factor. Aluminium and steel components can be cleanly separated when the motor reaches the end of its life, avoiding contamination and enabling higher-value recovery. Since recycled aluminium requires 95 per cent less energy than producing primary material, the system also supports OEMs working to cut Scope 3 emissions.
Supply chain realism reshaping EV design priorities
Copper’s unstable pricing is squeezing EV margins, and its limited refining base is causing ongoing concern for manufacturers. This is prompting companies to look at alternative winding materials as a practical safeguard, spreading sourcing options and reducing reliance on a single material to stay more resilient in future disruptions.
As Widmer stated, “ UK engineering innovation is providing automotive manufacturers with technically validated alternatives to conventional motor designs. This partnership demonstrates that supply chain diversification and performance optimisation are not mutually exclusive objectives.”
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