The trend is towards DC motors that are electromechanically AC motors, but supplied with AC current generated by an inverter from a DC power source. The inverte

The trend is towards DC motors that are electromechanically AC motors, but supplied with AC current generated by an inverter from a DC power source. The inverter can control the motor more precisely than a fixed-frequency grid voltage can, and the DC source can be supplied by a battery. In terms of reliability, the inverter is still an extra part that can fail, but on the other hand, it's also much less likely to blow a fuse when your motor shaft stalls on startup.