Engineering course
Electric Motor Academy
An engineering-level course on EV traction motors — the physics of torque, the anatomy of rotor and stator, every major motor topology, inverter control and field-oriented drive, and how it all plays out in real production vehicles. Built around an eight-view motor explorer, magnetic field and performance simulators, five engineering virtual labs and a dozen calculators.
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- Eight-view interactive motor explorer
- Magnetic field and torque-speed performance simulators
- Five hands-on virtual engineering labs
- Twelve engineering calculators
What you will learn
- Explain how the Lorentz force and electromagnetic induction produce torque
- Identify every major component of an electric traction motor
- Compare PMSM, induction, switched reluctance, BLDC and axial flux motors
- Describe how field-oriented control and field weakening govern motor behaviour
- Size a motor against real vehicle performance targets
- Diagnose common motor faults and understand real-world maintenance needs
Course content
Module 1
Motor basics
What a motor does and the fundamentals of stator, rotor and AC drive.
6 lessons
- What an electric motor doesTurning electrical energy into rotating mechanical work, and why EVs are built around this trick. 10 min
- Stator and rotor at a glanceThe two halves of every rotating electric machine, and how they interact. 9 min
- AC versus DC motors in EVsWhy almost every modern EV traction motor is fed with synthesised AC, even though the battery stores DC. 10 min
- Poles and phases explainedTwo numbers that define how a motor's magnetic field rotates. 9 min
- Motors and generators are the same machineHow regenerative braking works, using nothing more than the motor already in the car. 8 min
- Reading a motor datasheetThe handful of numbers that tell you almost everything about a traction motor. 10 min
Module 2
Physics of torque
Lorentz force, magnetism, back-EMF and torque equations.
6 lessons
- The Lorentz forceThe single equation underneath every electric motor. 10 min
- Magnetic fields and flux densityHow coils, iron and air gaps combine to create the field a motor needs. 10 min
- Back-EMF explainedWhy a spinning motor fights the voltage that is driving it — and why that matters for control. 10 min
- Torque, speed and power curvesReading the single chart that defines everything about how a motor drives a car. 11 min
- Electromagnetic induction and rotating fieldsFaraday's law and how a changing field, not a moving one, is what actually induces voltage. 9 min
- Torque equations and motor constantsHow k_t, k_e and winding design combine into the torque a motor can actually deliver. 10 min
Module 3
Motor components
Rotor, stator, windings, bearings and cooling in detail.
6 lessons
- The rotor in detailInterior magnets, surface magnets, squirrel cages — how rotors differ and why. 10 min
- The stator and lamination stacksWhy stators are built from thin sheets of steel rather than a solid block. 9 min
- Windings and copper lossesWhere I²R losses come from, and the winding tricks used to minimise them. 10 min
- Bearings and mechanical tolerancesThe unglamorous parts that keep the rotor spinning true for hundreds of thousands of kilometres. 9 min
- Cooling systems for motorsWater jackets, oil spray and how heat actually leaves a compact traction motor. 10 min
- Housings, seals and drive-unit integrationHow the motor, inverter and gearbox come together as one sealed unit. 8 min
Module 4
Motor types
PMSM, induction, SRM, BLDC and axial flux compared.
6 lessons
- Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM)The most common EV traction motor type, and why it dominates the market. 10 min
- Induction motorsThe rugged, magnet-free alternative that Tesla popularised for rear axles. 10 min
- Switched reluctance motors (SRM)A magnet-free, simple-rotor design gaining attention as rare-earth costs rise. 9 min
- BLDC motors and hub motor applicationsTrapezoidal control, and where brushless DC motors still make sense in EVs. 9 min
- Axial flux motorsA pancake-shaped alternative promising exceptional power density. 9 min
- Comparing motor topologiesBringing PMSM, induction, SRM, BLDC and axial flux together on one scorecard. 10 min
Module 5
Motor control
Inverters, PWM, field-oriented control, field weakening and efficiency maps.
6 lessons
- How inverters drive a motorTurning battery DC into synthesised three-phase AC, one switching decision at a time. 10 min
- Pulse-width modulation (PWM)The technique that lets discrete switches synthesise a smooth voltage waveform. 10 min
- Field-oriented control (FOC)The algorithm that treats a spinning AC motor almost like a simple DC motor to control. 11 min
- Field weakeningHow motors exceed their natural base speed by deliberately fighting their own magnets. 10 min
- Torque vectoring and multi-motor controlHow independently controlled motors at each axle or wheel reshape vehicle dynamics. 9 min
- Efficiency maps and drive cyclesReading the torque-speed efficiency contour map that engineers use to tune a whole vehicle. 10 min
Module 6
Real-world motors
Production vehicles, sizing, faults, maintenance and future tech.
6 lessons
- Motors in real production vehiclesA tour of the motor choices behind well-known EVs. 10 min
- Sizing a motor for a vehicleWorking from vehicle targets — acceleration, top speed, range — back to motor specifications. 11 min
- Common motor faults and diagnosisWorking through realistic fault scenarios a technician might encounter. 11 min
- Maintenance and service lifeWhat actually needs attention on a component with almost no wearing parts. 8 min
- Motors across the whole EV systemSeeing how the motor connects to battery, inverter, cooling and vehicle control systems. 9 min
- The future of electric motorsRare-earth-free designs, higher-voltage architectures and where the next efficiency gains will come from. 9 min