Nowadays, with the global pursuit of zero emissions, the trend of automobile electrification is very rapid. The drive motor is the core component of electric vehicles, which has an important impact on the working life and performance of electric vehicles. Therefore, all major manufacturers are trying to find and develop better and more efficient motors. At present, the research on driving motor has become a hot issue in the field of electric vehicles, attracting many scholars to carry out a lot of research work. This paper analyzes four common driving motors in the market, discusses their structure, principle and performance, and lists their advantages and disadvantages for comparison. Then it describes the development status of various types of motors and their applications in electric vehicles, and introduces the prospects of electric vehicle motors and suggestions for improvement of switched reluctance motors.