Yet another paper on the external cost of neodymium iron boride magnets.

[hunter]

1. The alternator in my car doesn't have permanent magnets in it.

The windshield wiper and blower motors do.

Large power plants generally don't use permanent magnets, the magnetic field is created using electromagnets. These field windings take considerable energy to run, but it's only a small fraction of the generator's normal output. At very low power these fields can consume more energy than the generator is producing.

Permanent magnets are used in motors and generators that need to be efficient in their lower power ranges, the most obvious examples being wind turbines that operate most of the time below their nameplate capacity, or electric vehicles traveling at a constant velocity on flat roads.

The Tesla 1 & 2 used induction motors with a complex cast copper rotor and heavy copper field windings.

The Tesla 3 motor uses rare earth permanent magnets to get more range with less battery capacity in normal lower energy driving conditions and to improve regenerative braking efficiencies.