At just 17 years old, high school inventor Robert Sansone is making waves in the electric vehicle (EV) industry with a breakthrough motor design that could redefine sustainable transportation. Sansone tackled one of the sector’s most persistent challenges: reliance on rare-earth magnets, materials that are expensive, environmentally damaging to mine, and predominantly sourced from China.

Sansone’s innovative motor eliminates the need for rare-earth magnets entirely, instead using inexpensive, widely available materials. His prototype, constructed with 3D-printed components and simple materials, has already demonstrated remarkable performance, producing 39% more torque and 31% higher efficiency compared to conventional motors in early testing.

Although still in the developmental stage, Sansone’s invention has attracted attention from scientists, engineers, and EV industry experts, who see its potential to make electric vehicles more affordable, environmentally friendly, and geopolitically secure. By removing dependency on rare-earth elements, his design could significantly reduce costs and supply-chain vulnerabilities for future EV production.

Sansone’s achievement is a testament to the power of curiosity, ingenuity, and determination. In a world seeking sustainable transportation solutions, this teenager’s work may one day become a pivotal milestone, proving that innovation doesn’t always come from corporate labs—it can also emerge from a high school garage.