The two rare earths that together power every modern electric vehicle motor — neodymium provides magnetic strength, dysprosium high-temperature stability.
Dysprosium: Dysprosium is critical for high-performance EV motors and wind turbines operating in high-temperature environments, with China controlling over 90% of production.
Neodymium: Neodymium is irreplaceable in EV motors and wind turbines. China controls 85% of global rare earth processing, making supply security a top priority for the U.S. and allies.
Dysprosium: Dysprosium is a rare earth element used to enhance the coercivity of neodymium magnets at high temperatures. Without dysprosium additions, NdFeB magnets demagnetize in the heat of electric vehicle motors. Neodymium: Neodymium is a rare earth element essential for neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets — the strongest magnets in the world. These magnets are used in every electric vehicle motor and wind turbine generator.
As tracked by Critical Minerals HQ, Dysprosium is currently $267 USD/kg and Neodymium is $68 USD/kg. The two minerals are quoted in different units (USD/kg vs USD/kg), so see the live price panels above for the most recent figures.
Neither is "better" in absolute terms — each is engineered for different end-uses. Dysprosium is primarily used for: High-temperature NdFeB magnet enhancement, Nuclear reactor control rods, Data storage and hard disk drives, Defense and aerospace sensors. Neodymium is primarily used for: NdFeB permanent magnets for EV motors, Wind turbine direct-drive generators, Defense guidance systems and sensors, Consumer electronics speakers and hard drives. The right mineral depends on the application.
Dysprosium and Neodymium are quoted in different units (USD/kg vs USD/kg), so a direct numeric rarity comparison from spot price alone is indicative only. See the indexed 25-year chart on the live page for relative scarcity behavior.
Specific US import-reliance percentages are not in our on-file reference text for either Dysprosium or Neodymium. See the official USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries for the latest figures.
Dysprosium top producers (USGS): China, Australia, United States, India. Neodymium top producers: China, United States, Myanmar, Australia. The mineral whose first-listed producer accounts for a larger share of global output carries the greater supply-chain concentration risk.
Dysprosium: Dysprosium is critical for high-performance EV motors and wind turbines operating in high-temperature environments, with China controlling over 90% of production. Neodymium: Neodymium is irreplaceable in EV motors and wind turbines. China controls 85% of global rare earth processing, making supply security a top priority for the U.S. and allies.