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What kind of motors do electric cars use?
My wife and I just bought a used electric car for our teenage son, and I’m trying to become more well-versed in the mechanics of EVs. What kinds of motors do electric cars use?
Allison Stone · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
To answer your question, there are three types of motors used in electric cars:
- DC Series Motor.
- Brushless DC Motor
- Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM)
- Three Phase AC Induction Motors
- Switched Reluctance Motors (SRM)
The type of motor you have will depend on what type of electric car you drive. For example, most automotive manufacturers use PMSM motors. The Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Ford Focus Electric, Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 all use a PMSM motor.
Some higher-performance cars, however, such as the Tesla Model S, use a three-phase AC induction motor. Induction motors are preferred for performance-oriented EVs because they offer more torque even at high speeds, are simply designed, are cheaper to manufacture, and can withstand more extreme environmental conditions.
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