A current-controlled switched reluctance motor drive for variable speed applications with efficiency optimization is presented. Firing angles are computed online, the turnon is calculated by means of the rule of Bose, and the turn-off is calculated using the general theory of the optimal turn-off angle proposed by Gribble. In steady state operation, the initial selection of firing angles is fine-tuned by means of an algorithm that minimizes the input power of the drive. An efficiency and electrical energy consumption comparison with a commercial vector-controlled induction motor drive of the same size is also included. Experimental results show that the proposed switched reluctance motor drive is a good choice for applications that require slow varying loads and energy savings.