A novel axial flux switched reluctance machine (AFSRM) which has segmented stator and rotor is proposed. The copper and iron loss are effectively reduced due to the very short flux path resulted from the special structure. The detailed process for the determination of the geometric dimensions is presented, and the design scheme is adjusted to further improve the performances. The electromagnetic characteristics of the machine are analyzed by 3D finite element method (FEM), and the performances under motoring condition are verified with simulation and experiment.