An electric motor comprises: a rotor having poles equaling a first number; and a stator having slots equaling a second number, the stator having stator windings formed by conductors wound in a wave pattern around the stator, wherein a third number of the conductors are located in each of the slots, wherein the conductors form three balanced parallel paths through the slots, each of the conductors in the three balanced parallel paths undergoing a same number of pitch turns, each of the pitch turns being either a standard pitch turn or a nonstandard pitch turn, the standard pitch turn involving wrapping around slots equaling the second number divided by the first number, the nonstandard pitch turn involving wrapping around more or fewer slots than the standard pitch turn, wherein each of the three balanced parallel paths forms a repeating pattern throughout the slots.