Or if you require a vehicle consider buying an electric car or hybrid or a compact family car over an SUV or large truck.

Part of the rationale for developing this motor is to avoid rare earth metals, but it mostly is a move to lower costs, said Mike Crane, who runs Continental's hybrid and electric vehicle programs.

There is no easy way to compare the efficiency of an electric vehicle—plug-in hybrid or pure electric—with a fossil-fuelled equivalent.