High power-generation efficiency can be achieved by optimising the shape of the claw pole used as automobile generators. The working process of the stator and rotor in the claw pole generator was simulated using the finite-element method. First, one of the eight typical claw pole types commonly used in industry was selected. Then, orthogonal optimisation was performed based on the simulation results, yielding an optimal claw shape design. To examine the adaptability of the designed claw pole to shape change, the non-destructive test for evaluating the magnetic properties of claw pole (NDTEM) was employed. Finally, a claw pole with an optimal shape was forged, and its magnetic induction intensity was assessed using the NDTEM. The results indicated that compared with the unoptimised claw pole, the magnetic induction intensity of the optimised claw pole increased by a maximum of 8.11% and its weight reduced by 4.86%. This optimisation effectively improved the efficiency of power generation and achieved the lightweight of the claw pole.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.