An electric drive motor for a vehicle, the electric drive motor comprising: a stator; a rotor having a plurality of poles, each pole comprising: at least a first permanent magnet disposed symmetrically about a d-axis of the pole in a first layer; at least one second permanent magnet disposed symmetrically about the d-axis of the pole in a second layer radially separated from the first layer; and a plurality of flux barriers, comprising first and second primary flux barriers, for disrupting at least an n th order torque harmonic of the electric drive motor; wherein the plurality of flux barriers comprises a pair of first primary flux barriers associated with the first permanent magnet and disposed symmetrically about the d-axis, and a pair of second primary flux barriers associated with the at least one second permanent magnet and disposed symmetrically about the d-axis; wherein, at radially outer ends of the flux barriers, proximal to an outer surface of the rotor, a first angular period ξ 1 between corresponding lateral edges of adjacent first and second primary flux barriers of the plurality of flux barriers is defined by: ξ 1 = τ n 1 where: ξ 1 is the first angular period; τ is the pole step comprising the angular extent of each rotor pole; and n 1 is an order number of a torque harmonic to be disrupted. a stator; a rotor having a plurality of poles, each pole comprising: at least a first permanent magnet disposed symmetrically about a d-axis of the pole in a first layer; at least one second permanent magnet disposed symmetrically about the d-axis of the pole in a second layer radially separated from the first layer; and a plurality of flux barriers, comprising first and second primary flux barriers, for disrupting at least an n th order torque harmonic of the electric drive motor; wherein the plurality of flux barriers comprises a pair of first primary flux barriers associated with the first permanent magnet and disposed symmetrically about the d-axis, and a pair of second primary flux barriers associated with the at least one second permanent magnet and disposed symmetrically about the d-axis; at least a first permanent magnet disposed symmetrically about a d-axis of the pole in a first layer; at least one second permanent magnet disposed symmetrically about the d-axis of the pole in a second layer radially separated from the first layer; and a plurality of flux barriers, comprising first and second primary flux barriers, for disrupting at least an n th order torque harmonic of the electric drive motor; wherein the plurality of flux barriers comprises a pair of first primary flux barriers associated with the first permanent magnet and disposed symmetrically about the d-axis, and a pair of second primary flux barriers associated with the at least one second permanent magnet and disposed symmetrically about the d-axis; wherein, at radially outer ends of the flux barriers, proximal to an outer surface of the rotor, a first angular period ξ 1 between corresponding lateral edges of adjacent first and second primary flux barriers of the plurality of flux barriers is defined by: ξ 1 = τ n 1 where: ξ 1 is the first angular period; τ is the pole step comprising the angular extent of each rotor pole; and n 1 is an order number of a torque harmonic to be disrupted. ξ 1 is the first angular period; τ is the pole step comprising the angular extent of each rotor pole; and n 1 is an order number of a torque harmonic to be disrupted.