A brushless d.c. motor is integrated with a conveyor roller (14) by placing a plurality of stator coils (15) on a stationary shaft (18) and securing a rotor (10) with segments (12) of permanent magnetic material to the inside of the conveyor roller (14). In one embodiment the rotor (10) is directly secured to the roller while in a second embodiment, the rotor (10) is disposed inside of a cylindrical metal housing (40) that is press fit inside of the roller. Commutation is provided by an external motor controller (54) which is connected by conductors (37) through a passageway (36) in the shaft (18) to a circuit board (20), where sensors (23) are mounted to sense rotor position for purposes of commutation of the stator coils (15).