An electric power steering system for a vehicle includes a steering wheel and a steering shaft that is connected to the steering wheel. A worm gear is connected to the steering shaft. A worm is threadably engaged to the worm gear. A permanent magnet motor is connected to the worm. The permanent magnet motor includes a stator with twelve slots and a rotor with ten poles. The rotor includes one or more axial rotor sections. If more than one axial rotor section is employed, the axial rotor sections are rotationally offset. The axial rotor sections are rotationally offset by an offset angle that is equal to a cogging angle divided by the number of axial rotor sections. The rotor includes breadloaf, spoke, radial or arc permanent magnets.