GM tests domestically made neodymium magnets at Pontiac labs as MP Materials ramps production in Michigan

GM is validating neodymium-based permanent magnets produced by MP Materials at its Pontiac, Michigan labs while the supplier begins automotive magnet production at its Independence, Missouri facility, part of GM’s long-term strategy to secure EV motor materials.

GM outlined its strategy to shore up critical materials and electric-motor supply chains, highlighting permanent magnets used in contemporary EV motors. The company noted its early work on powerful neodymium-based magnets in the 1980s and cited continuity from electric‑drive developments such as the first-generation Chevrolet Volt and later motors employing a dual‑V magnet arrangement.

A Michigan connection centers on testing and validation: GM engineers are evaluating magnets produced by MP Materials at GM’s laboratories in Pontiac, Michigan. That work follows MP Materials’ start of automotive magnet production at its Independence facility, creating a nearer-term domestic source of neodymium-based permanent magnets for automakers.

For Michigan enthusiasts, this matters because it links local engineering and testing capacity directly to the resilience of EV supply chains—work happening in Pontiac supports integration of new magnet sources into GM motor designs. What’s known next is that GM will continue these validation steps in Pontiac as MP Materials supplies automotive magnets from Independence; further commercial and technical milestones were not specified in the source.