Various motor configurations are favored for electric traction applications in “more electric ship” initiatives [1, 2]. This work undertakes optimization of target different motor topologies, involving surface, internal and slot-less configurations and compares their relative advantages and drawbacks for a more electric ship traction application. The optimization algorithm is based on composite multi-objective function combined with a particular Vernier random search of the optimization variables, achieving very fast convergence characteristics. The magnetic field direction in each magnet constituting a Halbach array under surface configuration has been considered enabling improved motor performance without using large number of elementary magnets. The optimized machine geometries determined involve high efficiency and increased power density. Synchronous machines with permanent magnets are useful for applications where efficiency is the key to success. However, difficulties have to be considered such as the permanent magnet risk of demagnetization in case of fault conditions and the saturation encountered in iron laminations in cases of over-currents. In low-speed machine cases the number of poles is an important parameter that the motor designer should consider. The reason is that when motors are designed with large diameters, to achieve increased torque under low speed, the number of poles should be matched. These results in high manufacturing costs and increased losses in power electronics converters due to the high frequency necessitated. The main target of this article is to provide a motor design which overcomes all difficulties mentioned above.