Advanced Electric Machines is debuting an air-cooled, rare earth-free electric drive system at iVT Expo 2026 in Cologne. The integrated unit pairs AEM’s HDRM 150 motor with Emsiso’s H10B inverter, operating at up to 700V with peak output exceeding 30kW, targeting simplified off-highway electrification without liquid cooling infrastructure.
Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), based in Washington, UK, is making the public debut of an air-cooled, rare earth-free electric drive system at iVT Expo 2026 in Cologne, Germany, on June 10-11. The system pairs AEM’s HDRM 150 motor with the air-cooled H10B inverter from Slovenia-headquartered Emsiso – part of the Poclain Group – as a matched, integrated unit targeting off-highway electrification applications.
The combined system operates at up to 700V with a peak motor output exceeding 30kW. Both the motor and inverter are air-cooled, eliminating the liquid cooling circuits, pumps, plumbing, and associated maintenance requirements typical of conventional electric drivetrains. AEM says the architecture removes packaging constraints for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) engineers and reduces potential failure points.
The HDRM 150 uses no rare earth elements, avoiding the neodymium and dysprosium content found in conventional permanent magnet motors. AEM positions this as a supply chain resilience argument: rare earth extraction is geographically concentrated, and availability and pricing have been subject to geopolitical disruption. The system is offered as a pre-validated, drop-in combination rather than separate components requiring individual integration and calibration.
“Permanent magnet motors deliver excellent performance, but they come with a supply chain attached that is neither stable nor secure,” says James Widmer, chief executive of Advanced Electric Machines. “The HDRM 150 removes that dependency entirely and does so without asking OEMs to accept a performance compromise or a complex integration. Pairing it with a matched air-cooled inverter means we can offer something the market hasn’t seen before: a complete, drop-in rare earth-free electric drive system that is simpler, more resilient, and ready to work.”
AEM reports its motors have accumulated more than 6.5 million kilometers across real-world deployments. The company holds 46 international patents covering its motor designs and manufacturing processes.
The H10B inverter is part of Emsiso’s high-voltage inverter family, which spans 5kW to 100kW and 200V to 870V. AEM will be on stand 1020 in Hall 1 at Köln Messe for the duration of the two-day show.
