TOKYO, April 24 Reuters Japanese electric motor maker Nidec Corp on Monday posted its first quarterly operating loss in a decade, hit by hefty restructuring costs and difficulty in procuring semiconductors and other components.

The loss of 24.3 billion yen 181.01 million for the JanuaryMarch quarter compared to an average estimate for a 11.75 billion yen loss in a Refinitiv survey of analysts.

The business environment surrounding Nidec continues to be severe, the company said, warning of a delay in the recovery of global automobile production, among other headwinds.

It was also squeezed by a decline in unit growth rate in the electric vehicle EV market in China and a peaking of capital investmentrelated demand, it said in a statement.

Nidec has made a big bet on growth in the EV market, investing heavily in production and development of the eaxle traction motor, which combines an electric vehicle39;s gear, motor and powercontrol electronics.

It said previously it aimed to launch a thirdgeneration model of its eaxle system in 2025, having begun manufacturing a secondgeneration system in Guangzhou, China last September.

Kazuyoshi Saito, a senior analyst at Iwai Cosmo Securities, said the filings suggested that Nidec had become slightly more upbeat about the business ahead, but that conditions appeared not as clear cut, especially in the EV area.

In areas such as electric appliances, industrials and overall, the economic outlook is uncertain. The business moves…