Environmental regulations are driving the development of energy-efficient motors for appliances such as washing machines, air conditioner compressor systems and fans. Alternating current (AC) induction motors, also known as "squirrel cage" motors, are the workhorses behind these applications. Traditionally these motors have been run with fixed speed control, which is not the most efficient. Finding alternate cost-effective variable speed motor technology is a constant challenge in the appliance industry.

Variable-speed permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) technology provides an energy-efficent alternative to AC induction motors, achieving more than 15 percent energy savings as compared to AC induction motors.