Laminated spoked rotor with mechanical magnet retention

A rotor assembly for an electric motor, said rotor assembly comprising:

• a rotor core including a plurality of laminations stacked along a rotational axis of the electric motor,
• said rotor core defining a plurality of radially extending magnet receiving slots extending axially through said rotor core,
• each of said laminations comprising a central body portion and an outer body portion, said outer body portion substantially enclosing said central body portion;
• and
• a plurality of magnets, each magnet received in a respective magnet receiving slot of the rotor core,
• each of said laminations comprising a deflectable magnet retaining tab that extends radially outward from the central body portion into a corresponding one of the magnet receiving slots;
• said magnet retaining tab engaging and being deflected by a corresponding one of the magnets to exert a reactive force against the corresponding one of the magnets.