The Outer Solid Rotor Induction Motor as an Alternative for Electric Vehicle Traction Applications

There is no doubt that the share of electric vehicles in international auto markets has experienced a consistent rise. So far, permanent magnet hub motors have emerged as the most widely used choice due to their high efficiency and power density capabilities. Nevertheless, cost of permanent magnets has been increasing, the fact that could compromise universal feasibility. Moreover, possible degradation of permanent magnet remnant magnetization over the years could also diminish lifetime of the aforementioned motors. This paper revisits the possibility of utilizing outer solid rotor induction motors for electric vehicle applications as an alternative. Among their advantages are the ease of manufacture and the relative low cost. Analysis and simulations are performed on a sample outer solid rotor induction motor and performance as well as power density are compared to a typical permanent magnet hub motor. More details are given in the paper.