The HN Title [1] should be changed, as it is in effect editorializing beyond the information provided, IMHO. As others have noted, there is no information to suggest the statement is generally true, beyond these two sub-system components.
[1] Currently: "No rare earth metals in the Model S"
Does the tesla have regenerative braking system, and I wonder if there are rare earth metals there?
Here is an article: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/physics/rare-earth-element...
Granted, it's a microscopic amount of indium, but still.
To be fair, the group is badly named, but rare earth metals has a very precise meaning -- if something is not one of the lanthanides, Scandium, or Yttrium, it's not REE.
As far as I understand it, they use the motors for regenerative breaking, and the motors don't contain permanent magnets. Where permanent magnets would be used, they use more coils, and thus can vary the strength of the magnetic fields, much like your car's alternator. This is also how they forgo the need for a gear box.