Modal Motors, a new startup led by Michael Van Steenburg, aims to eliminate reliance on China in the electric motor supply chain by producing motors in the U.S. without using rare-earth magnets. Van Steenburg, with extensive experience in electric motor manufacturing across North America, sees this approach as essential due to China’s dominance and recent restrictions on rare-earth exports. Unlike other companies reshoring motor production but still depending on rare-earth materials, Modal Motors seeks to innovate with magnet-free designs to accelerate independence from Chinese supply constraints.

The company is developing two main products ahead of its appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt in October 2026. One product is a compact electric motor optimized for drones, fans, blowers, and actuators that prioritizes high torque density and efficiency while keeping weight minimal. The other, called the “Hybrid Enigma Drive,” is a flat, planar motor designed to fit in low-profile spaces, showcasing Van Steenburg’s decades of automotive industry experience applied to creating novel motor designs that diverge radically from traditional models relying on rare-earth magnets.

Van Steenburg reflects on the irony of his career trajectory, noting that in the late 1990s he worked on hybrid drivetrains that China sought to incorporate in its early automotive projects. Today, he views the global rare-earth supply chain as a strategic vulnerability, citing China’s long-term efforts to monopolize these materials. His commitment to overcoming difficult engineering challenges is driven by a sense of urgency about securing a more self-reliant supply chain for electric motors in the United States, reducing dependency on geopolitically sensitive sources.

Modal Motors stands out by targeting a critical gap in the electric motor market: the ability to build competitive products without rare-earth elements, which are currently sourced overwhelmingly from China. This effort aligns with broader industry trends on reshoring manufacturing and securing technology supply chains for emerging sectors like drones and robotics. The company’s innovative electric motors could represent a turning point for U.S. manufacturing and technology sovereignty in the evolving electric vehicle and automation markets.