Tool
What would it take?
Pick a technology and a quantity. The calculator multiplies out the material bill and puts each total next to the entire world’s annual production of that material — which is usually the number that changes how the answer feels.
10,000,000 × EV Traction Motor — The permanent-magnet synchronous motor that drives most electric cars.
Quantities are per motor indicative range tonnes of contained material
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Material | Per unit | Total, low | Total, high | World annual production | Share of a year’s supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron & Steel | 20.00–40.00 kg | 200,000 t | 400,000 t | 360.00 million tworld iron slag production was estimated to be between 330 million and 390 million tons,, 2025 | 0.1% |
| Copper | 8.00–20.00 kg | 80,000 t | 200,000 t | 23.00 million tMine production, 2025 | 0.9% |
| Neodymium | 0.4–1.00 kg | 4,000 t | 10,000 t | not published | — |
| Dysprosium | 0.02–0.1 kg | 200.0 t | 1,000 t | not published | — |
Intensity ranges are indicative, compiled from published technology studies and chemistry — not a manufacturer specification. World production is USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, 2025 (estimated), converted to tonnes of the same basis where the source reports thousands of tonnes or kilograms · source ↗. This is an educational order-of-magnitude tool. It is not a procurement estimate and must not be used as one.