A basic educational video, it explains something I'd read about but not understood: High torque at low rpm - very nice for getting off the line. But at higher rpm, PM motors can generate significant reverse voltage limiting the current. Low reverse EMF at high rpm - the rotor field magnetic fields become an inductive motor by effectively cancelling some of the PM fields. The correct term is "Internal Permanent Magnet Synchronous Reluctance Motor." I knew Toyota had them in their transaxles but did not understand the physics. Bob Wilson
Did you post this video once before? I had this strong sense of déjà vu watching it. Prius magnets got moved into that V-groove shape between Gen 1 and Gen 2, so they've been doing that since 2004, but the New Car Features manual said rather little about the explanation. Toyota didn't call either of the MGs a "switched reluctance" design, though they do use that term for the little motor that moves the parking pawl.
I don’t remember posting before as I found the information new. I had read the DoE tear down reports on the Prius motors and they had cited ‘field weakening’ without explaining how it worked. Bob Wilson
