Any drive using electricity as a source of power requires a motor. Motors come in different sizes, ranging from large ones of thousands of Horse Power capacity to micro-motors used in electronic devices such as toy cars. They are also generally used in homes with various gadgets in use such as refrigerators, washing machines and pumps. Most motors used for domestic purposes run on single-phase AC power.

Motors used in Industries need three-phase power of higher voltage. In the last 50 years, huge strides have been made in the development of miniature motors for fans due to their use in computers. Fractional HP motors are used in gadgets like DVDs, music players, movie cameras, etc. Universal motors run on AC or DC power.