Magnet-free EV motors in 2026: overview
Magnet-free EV motors propel vehicles without relying on permanent magnets. Induction, wound-field synchronous, synchronous-reluctance and switched-reluctance designs each produce torque differently, while avoiding permanent magnets in the motor. That can reduce exposure to magnet supply constraints, but it does not make performance automatic: designers must balance efficiency, torque density, thermal behavior, control complexity and, especially for reluctance motors, torque ripple and acoustic noise. The engineering challenge is the full drive system, including the motor, inverter, sensors and control software.
Recent work focuses on improving that system. In August 2026, studies explored stator-slot and rotor-step skewing to reduce reluctance-motor torque ripple, alongside field-oriented control for synchronous-reluctance drives. Other August studies applied neural networks and optimized torque control to switched-reluctance motors, targeting performance and acoustic noise. A September 2026 study proposed an external-rotor, multi-tooth switched-reluctance design for electric two-wheelers, while another investigated AI-based fault diagnosis for EV switched-reluctance drives. Control, fault detection and rotor design are converging as researchers address the practical limits of magnet-free traction.
- 1Control is central: Recent fault-diagnosis and drive-control studies show that reliable operation depends on coordinating motor design with sensing, power electronics and control.
- 2Torque quality matters: Reluctance motor research is targeting torque ripple and acoustic noise through rotor and stator geometry changes as well as revised control methods.
- 3Induction leads patents: Induction motors account for most recent patent activity among the listed approaches, while reluctance designs remain active in research.
Top organizations working on magnet-free EV motors
Ranked by Linknovate activity score · last 24 monthsThe activity score adds up the relevance of every patent, publication, grant and news item linking an organization to magnet-free EV motors. Showing 7 of 150 organizations.
| # | Organization | Approach | Signals (24 mo) | Momentum | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
Mahle GmbH
Corporate · Germany |
Wound-field synchronous motors | PAT 1 · NEWS 38 | -23% | Recently, MAHLE presented its MCT permanent-magnet-free motor at IAA Transportation, alongside an electric-truck range extender. |
| 2 | 
Suzuki Motor Corporation
Corporate · Japan |
General | NEWS 40 | -97% | |
| 3 | 
PSA Peugeot Citroën
Corporate · France |
General | NEWS 39 | -100% | |
| 4 | FG
FCA Group
Research · Italy |
General | NEWS 39 | -100% | |
| 5 | HS
Ho Sports Company
Corporate |
General | NEWS 39 | -100% | |
| 6 | 
BorgWarner Inc.
Corporate · Germany |
General | NEWS 26 | -27% | |
| 7 | 
Honeywell
Corporate · United States |
General | NEWS 41 | -42% | |
| 8 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
| 9 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
| 10 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
Leading research centers
Leading research institutions 140 total
Indian Institute of Technology DelhiIndiaResearch at IIT Delhi examines brushless wound-field synchronous motor winding designs for EVs, alongside synchronous-reluctance and switched-reluctance traction drives.- MBMohan Babu UniversityIndiaResearch examines switched-reluctance motor rotor designs and torque characteristics for EVs, as well as predictive control for synchronous-reluctance drives.
Indian Institute of Technology RoorkeeIndiaResearch at IIT Roorkee covers excitation control for brushless induction-excited synchronous motors and switched-reluctance drives for fuel-cell EVs.- ··Hidden research institutionCountryAvailable to registered users, with their key researchers.
- ··Hidden research institutionCountryAvailable to registered users, with their key researchers.
Where magnet-free EV motors innovation happens
Share of documents with at least one organization from each country.
Open the interactive map with all 150 organizationsMain technical approaches
Last 24 months| Approach | What it is | Documents | Leading organizations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Induction motors | Induction motors create rotor currents electromagnetically; their robust, magnet-free design trades against the need to manage efficiency and heat across the drive cycle. | 589 |
Siemens AG, ABB Group, Nidec Corporation |
| Wound-field synchronous motors | Wound-field synchronous motors use an electrically excited rotor field, avoiding permanent magnets but adding excitation hardware and control demands. | 23 |
Incheon National University, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Carleton University |
| Synchronous reluctance motors | Synchronous-reluctance motors use a shaped rotor to align with the stator field; their simple rotor avoids magnets, but torque ripple can be difficult to control. | 109 |
Indian Institute Of Technology, Bhilai, ABB Group, Mohan Babu University |
| Switched reluctance motors | Switched-reluctance motors energize stator phases in sequence to pull a simple rotor into alignment; robust construction comes with torque ripple and acoustic-noise challenges. | 252 |
Siemens AG, Nidec Corporation, Nissan Motor Co. |
| Field-excited flux-switching motors | Field-excited flux-switching motors vary magnetic flux through stator excitation and switching; they avoid permanent magnets but require careful electromagnetic design and control. | 5 |
Tohoku University, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Khalifa University |
Emerging trends
Last 12 months vs previous 36 monthsTerms whose frequency in the last 12 months grew the most compared with the previous 36 months.
Funding and investment
Recent funding rounds
Reported funding entries total $554,113,896 across 4 rounds, but the listed entries include Hitachi Ltd. investments in transformer manufacturing and University of Nottingham transport funding, so they should not be read as motor-specific financing. Grants total $953,175 across 4 grants since 2020.
Patent landscape
Top patent holders · last 24 monthsRecent developments
Latest news, duplicates removed- Oct 2026When we first drove BMW’s first Neue Klasse model, the iX3, it quickly revealed that BMW knows how to make a good electric vehicle. A clean-sheet design, it featured the automaker’s sixth-generation electric powertrain…Ars Technica
- Sep 2026When BMW first announced it was reimagining the i3 as an all-electric four-door sedan built on its Neue Klasse platform, it left out a lot of important details, like battery capacity, range, and price. Today, the German…The Verge - All Posts
- Sep 2026Alongside Tesla’s low-key Cybercab event this week, the company showed off its new rare earth-free Cybercab motor, which reportedly increases power density and efficiency significantly. It’s some kind of an achievement…Electrek
- Sep 2026Jaguar Land Rover was one of the first automakers to announce a transition away from combustion engines. That transition timeline might have slipped somewhat—pesky things like pandemics, supply chains, and revanchism…Ars Technica
- Month 20XXHidden developmentAvailable to registered users with alerts enabled.
Frequently asked questions about magnet-free EV motors
What companies are working on magnet-free EV motors?
Siemens AG, ABB Group, Nidec Corporation, Ford Motor Company and Hitachi Ltd. appear among the organizations associated with magnet-free motor approaches. Mahle GmbH is linked to wound-field synchronous motors and describes its MCT motor as permanent-magnet-free. Huawei leads the listed patent holders, with Cummins Inc., Atieva Inc. and Volvo Truck Australia also appearing in the patent data.
Which magnet-free EV motors startups are the most promising in 2026?
The available data list 0 startups specifically for magnet-free EV motors, so they do not support a ranking of promising startup companies. Activity is instead associated with established companies and research organizations, including Mahle GmbH, Siemens AG, ABB Group and Nidec Corporation. The research activity covers induction, wound-field synchronous and reluctance motor designs.
Which universities and research centers lead magnet-free EV motors research?
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee and Mohan Babu University are among the named research organizations. IIT Delhi works on brushless wound-field synchronous motor winding designs as well as synchronous- and switched-reluctance traction drives. IIT Roorkee studies excitation control and switched-reluctance drives, while Mohan Babu University examines rotor designs and torque characteristics.
How much funding has magnet-free EV motors received?
The listed funding entries total $554,113,896 across 4 rounds, and grant entries total $953,175 across 4 grants since 2020. These figures are not a clean measure of motor-specific investment: round entries include Hitachi Ltd. transformer-manufacturing investments and University of Nottingham transport funding. Treat them as funding associated with organizations in the data, not as dedicated magnet-free motor financing.
What were the latest magnet-free EV motors funding rounds?
The latest listed rounds are Hitachi Ltd. entries dated September 30, 2025, for $270,000,000 and October 31, 2025, for $195,000,000. Both are described as investments in transformer manufacturing, not magnet-free motor programs. The other listed rounds concern University of Nottingham transport or infrastructure activity, so these records do not establish recent motor-specific funding.
Who holds the most magnet-free EV motors patents?
Huawei holds the most patents in the listed data, with 6. Cummins Inc., Atieva Inc. and Volvo Truck Australia have 2 each. Other named holders include King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Volvo Car Corporation, Mahle GmbH and Karma Automotive LLC. These figures describe the listed patent-holder records, rather than a complete measure of each organization's intellectual property.
Is magnet-free EV motors patent activity growing?
Yes: the data show 21 patents in the 24-month window, with patent activity up 10.0% against the previous 24 months. Induction motors account for 19 patents in that window and 90.5% of the listed approach patents. Synchronous-reluctance and switched-reluctance motors each have 1 listed patent in the same period.
What are the latest developments in magnet-free EV motors?
Recent work includes reluctance-motor torque-ripple reduction, switched-reluctance control and fault diagnosis, and induction-motor drive improvements. August 2026 studies examined stator-slot and rotor-step skewing, neural-network-based performance enhancement and revised torque control. A September 2026 study proposed an external-rotor, multi-tooth switched-reluctance motor for electric two-wheelers, while another addressed AI-based fault diagnosis in EV drives.
What are the main approaches in magnet-free EV motors and how do they differ?
The main approaches are induction, wound-field synchronous, synchronous-reluctance, switched-reluctance and field-excited flux-switching motors. Induction motors induce rotor currents; wound-field designs electrically excite the rotor. Reluctance motors use rotor geometry and magnetic alignment to generate torque, with switched-reluctance designs energizing stator phases in sequence. Each avoids permanent magnets but brings different design and control trade-offs.
What are the applications of magnet-free EV motors?
The listed applications include passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, two- and three-wheelers, and off-highway vehicles. Passenger vehicles have 169 associated documents, commercial vehicles 115, two- and three-wheelers 60, and off-highway vehicles 17. The recent research also includes electric two-wheeler propulsion, agricultural vehicles and mining EVs, where load conditions and operating environments shape motor and control requirements.