Electric Motor Comprising a Flux Barrier

An electric motor is provided including a rotor and an outer member that is coaxially placed around the inner member and having radially oriented teeth. The teeth have end parts with a width Wt, adjacent teeth being separated by a slot of slot width Wg. A number of barrier members are provided in the inner member near the inner perimeter, each barrier member having a width Wb that generally corresponds to the width Wt and having curved side sections at each end of the central section having a width that generally corresponds with the slot width Wg. The barrier members reduce electromagnetic NVH by preventing magnetic flux from passing from the slots on each side of the teeth, into the inner member.