Patent ID: 8786156

Claim:
A rotating electric machine for vehicular use comprising: a stator that includes a stator core and a stator winding wound at the stator core; and a rotor that is rotatably disposed relative to the stator and includes a rotor core formed by laminating a plurality of electromagnetic steel sheets with a plurality of magnet insertion holes formed therein and includes a plurality of permanent magnets each held in each of the plurality of magnet insertion holes to form a magnetic pole, wherein: each of the plurality of permanent magnets extends along a rotor axis and is formed in a shape assuming at least two different lengths along a circumference of the rotor; and the each of the plurality of permanent magnets is constituted with n (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) types of magnet pieces set side-by-side along the rotor axis; and the n types of magnet pieces assume lengths along the circumference of the rotor that are different from one another by an extent equivalent to approximately 120°/n in electrical angle, and the n types of magnet pieces are disposed so that central lines running through centers of the magnet pieces, assumed along the circumference of the rotor, form a substantially single straight line running along the rotor axis.