ROTOR CONFIGURATION HAVING FLUX BARRIER SHAPE TO IMPROVE INTERIOR PERMANENT MAGNET SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR ROTOR TORQUE PERFORMANCE

An electric machine for powering an electric vehicle includes a rotor including rotor laminations and a first magnet. The rotor is configured to rotate relative to a stator to drive a rotor shaft and at least one drive wheel of the electric vehicle. The rotor laminations define a first slot that defines a first flux barrier, a second flux barrier and a first magnet retaining slot portion. The first flux barrier has a first flux barrier width at a first end of the first slot. The second flux barrier has a second flux barrier width at a second end of the fist slot. The first magnet retaining slot portion has a first slot width. The first magnet is positioned in the first magnet retaining slot portion. The first flux barrier width and the second flux barrier width are greater than the first slot width.