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When he was just 17, Robert Sansone built an electric motor that runs without magnets or rare-earth metals, offering a more sustainable and eco-friendly option.His prototype didn’t just work, it showed 39% more torque and up to 37% greater efficiency than standard motors.His motor works by using a switched reluctance design, which means it doesn’t rely on permanent magnets at all. Instead of magnets pulling the rotor around, the motor uses carefully timed electric currents in copper coils to create changing magnetic fields. These fields pull the rotor toward positions of lowest magnetic resistance, and by switching the current on and off in a precise sequence, the rotor keeps spinning.The project was so impressive that it won him the top prize of $75,000 at the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. What started as a high school project could end up shaping the future of electric vehicle technology.