April 29, 2026 — ABB has announced the global launch of its next-generation series of permanent magnet (PM) motors with water-jacket cooling, extending its portfolio of high-efficiency electric motors. The new PM motor series is designed to support growing cross-industry demand for compact, energy-efficient and low-noise solutions. Additionally, the motors are designed for operation with ABB frequency converter drives, enabling optimized system configurations and flexible integration into modern electrification architectures.
The new motor series enables business owners across a range of industries to advance decarbonization goals while optimizing design and operational performance. In particular, the marine industry stands to benefit as it is in the midst of a transformation driven by the global shift toward electrification, hybridization and the adoption of alternative fuels. Permanent magnet motors are increasingly recognized as a core technology for next generation vessels, enabling higher efficiency, reduced noise and improved maneuverability — especially for tugboats, offshore support vessels, ferries and hybrid ships.
The motor series is also available for a number of other industrial variable-speed drive applications, including both geared and direct-drive configurations, underpinning the cross-industry suitability. Currently offered in frame sizes 500 and 710, with power ratings up to 5 MW, larger frame sizes are feasible and can be supported, allowing the platform to scale with future application and industry requirements.
Drawing on more than three decades of permanent magnet technology leadership, ABB’s new PM motor delivers premium efficiency up to 98%, outstanding torque density and significantly reduced losses across the full operating range. This efficiency translates directly into lower energy consumption, reduced fuel or battery use, and significantly avoided CO2 emissions over the equipment’s lifecycle.
The motor’s innovative water-jacket cooling system, combined with an optimized mechanical structure, provides exceptional thermal performance without requiring external fan units or top coolers. This allows customers to benefit from up to 60% reduction in mounting volume, 30-40% lower vertical height and 5-15% lower weight compared with conventional alternatives — critical advantages for L-drive azimuth thrusters, electric tugboats, offshore support vessels and other applications where machinery space is constrained.
“Across many industries, our customers are working to decarbonize, improve energy performance and fit more capability into tighter spaces,” said Tatu Jarvenpaa, Business Line Manager for Motors and Generators at ABB. “This new permanent magnet series combines ABB’s latest advances in magnet technology, cooling innovation and engineering to deliver more power in less space — with the reliability and lifecycle performance the industry expects from ABB. By pairing our new PM motors with ABB drives, customers gain a seamlessly engineered package backed by ABB’s global service network.”
The motor features a fully enclosed rotor design, advanced magnet protection and ABB’s patented PM module technology to prevent corrosion and withstand demanding environments. A uniform innerloop cooling architecture improves temperature stability around magnet modules and coil ends, enhancing demagnetization resistance and long-term reliability.
Customers also benefit from ABB’s global service presence, lifecycle support capabilities and application expertise, providing reliability and confidence throughout the motor’s operational life.
About ABB Motion
ABB Motion, a global leader in motors and drives, is at the core of accelerating a more productive and sustainable future. We innovate and push the boundaries of technology to contribute to energy efficient, decarbonizing and circular solutions for customers, industries and societies. With our digitally enabled drives, motors and services we support our customers and partners to achieve better performance, safety and reliability. To help the world’s industries outrun – leaner and cleaner, we deliver motor-driven solutions for a wide range of applications in all industrial segments. Building on over 140 years of domain expertise in electric powertrains, our more than 23,000 employees across 100 countries learn and improve every day.