An axial-flux electric machine (10) includes a stator (14) and a rotor (16). The rotor may be rotatable about a rotor rotation axis (18), and at least a portion of the stator may face at least a portion of the rotor at an axial interface (20) between the stator and the rotorinterface. The rotor may include a rotor body (23) and a permanent-magnet cluster (32) that includes a plurality of permanent magnets (36) mounted to the rotor body. The permanent-magnet cluster may cause magnetic flux to flow across the axial interface between the permanent-magnet cluster and the stator. The plurality of permanent magnets of the permanent magnet cluster may include one or more permanent magnets forming a first axial permanent-magnet layer (46) and one or more permanent- magnets forming a second axial permanent-magnet layer (48) disposed between the first axial permanent-magnet layer and the axial interface.
