A device for estimating inductances of an electric machine having a salient-pole rotor is presented. The device comprises a processing system that controls stator voltages to constitute a balanced multi-phase alternating voltage when the rotor is stationary. The processing system estimates a position of the rotor based on a negative sequence component of stator currents. To estimate the quadrature-axis inductance, the processing system controls direct-axis current to be direct current and quadrature-axis voltage to be alternating voltage. The quadrature-axis inductance is estimated based on the quadrature-axis alternating voltage and on quadrature-axis alternating current. To estimate the direct-axis inductance, the processing system controls direct-axis voltage to be alternating voltage and the quadrature-axis voltage to be zero. The direct-axis inductance is estimated based on the direct-axis alternating voltage and on direct-axis alternating current.