Patent attributes
A vehicle includes a battery, an electric machine, a thermistor, and a controller. The electric machine is configured to draw electrical power from the battery to propel the vehicle. The electric machine has a rotor and a stator. The stator has a core, interconnected hairpins, and a neutral bar. The core defines slots. The interconnected hairpin windings are arranged within the slots and are arranged to form a plurality of electrical phases. The neutral bar is connected to each of the electrical phases and defines an orifice. The thermistor is disposed within the orifice and is configured to sense a temperature of the electric machine. The controller is programmed to control a power output of the electric machine based on the temperature of the electric machine.