Modal Motors is trying to cut China out of electric motors entirely
- ID
- 27826
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 24 Sep 2026, 3:05 AM
- Fetched
- 24 Sep 2026, 4:22 AM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/23/modal-motors-is-trying-to-cut-china-out-of-electric-motors-entirely/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 2.0
- Created
- 24 Sep 2026, 4:23 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- saas_founders
What happened
Modal Motors, founded by Michael Van Steenburg, is developing electric motors in the U.S. that eliminate rare earth magnets entirely, aiming to break dependence on China's supply chain. The startup has two products in development: a small motor for drones, fans, blowers, and actuators, and a flat 'Hybrid Enigma Drive' planar motor for low-profile spaces. Modal Motors is part of Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt.
Why it matters
This is a U.S. hardware manufacturing story with minimal direct impact on software developers, AI/ML practitioners, or SaaS founders. The only tangential relevance for Malaysian builders is the broader signal that rare-earth supply chain decoupling from China could create opportunities for Southeast Asian manufacturers and component suppliers, but the article provides no data on that.
Discussion angle
Whether rare-earth-free motor design trends could open niches for Malaysian or Southeast Asian hardware startups as global supply chains restructure away from China.