An apparatus detects the position of a rotor of an electric motor having three phases and a plurality of windings. The apparatus includes circuitry configured to connect at least two of said windings between first and second reference voltages according to a first current path disconnect said at least two windings, and allow the current stored in said two windings to be discharged through a second current path. The apparatus comprises a measuring circuit configured to measure the time period between the starting instant of storing the current in the two windings and the final instant of discharging the two windings and a rotor detector configured to detect the rotor position based at least in part on the measured time period.