This study presents a hybrid optimization technique to optimize stator and rotor slots of induction motor (IM) design for electric vehicle (EV) applications. The existing meta-heuristic optimization techniques for the IM design, such as genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), suffer premature convergence, exploration and exploitation imbalance, and computational burden. Therefore, this study proposes a new hybrid optimization technique called opposition-based jellyfish search optimization (OBJSO). This technique adopts opposition-based learning (OBL) into a jellyfish search optimization (JSO). Apart from that, a multi-objective formulation is derived to maximize the main performance indicators of EVs, including efficiency, breakdown torque, and power factor. The proposed OBJSO is used to solve the optimal design of stator and rotor slots based on the formulated multi-objective. The performance is compared with conventional optimization techniques, such as GA, PSO, and JSO. OBJSO outperforms three other optimization techniques in terms of average fitness by 2.2% (GA), 1.3% (PSO), and 0.17% (JSO). Furthermore, the convergence rate of OBJSO is improved tremendously, where up to 13.6% reduction in average can be achieved compared with JSO. In conclusion, the proposed technique can be used to help engineers in the automotive industry design a high-performance IM for EVs as an alternative to the existing motor.