[1/4] A wheel loader operator fills a truck with ore at the MP Materials rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, California, U.S. January 30, 2020. Market leader Tesla (TSLA.O) garnered headlines earlier this year saying it would cut rare earths from its next-generation EVs. China dominates the mining and processing of a group of 17 metals known as rare earths, though companies elsewhere are trying to loosen China's grip. 'WAITING IN THE WINGS'The average EV permanent magnet motor uses around 600 grams (1.32 lb) of heavy rare earth neodymium. Tesla's announcement on dropping rare earths "opened up buyers' eyes to the fact that you don't really need rare earths to make EV magnets," Niron CEO Jonathan Rowntree said.

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Persons: Steve Marcus, Tesla, Otmar Scharrer, Scharrer, you've, Ben Chiswick, Uwe Deuke, Gerd Roesel, Jonathan Rowntree, Oki, James Edmondson, Edmondson, Mike Grant, Nick Carey, Christina Amann, Paul Lienert, Ernest Scheyder, Gilles Guillaume, Giulio Piovaccari, Ben Klayman, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Auto, LONDON, General Motors, Rover, Nissan, ZF, U.S, BMW, Renault, GM, EV, Warwick Acoustics, Thomson Locations: Pass , California, U.S, China, BERLIN, German, Detroit, Europe, London, Berlin, Houston, Paris, Milan