Yes, wire and some dividers(structure) I believe. IIRC, the coils are overlapped slightly differently as well, but don't quote me on that.
There is a "core" in a slotless stator as well, but it's a long toroid against the motor can, kinda in the shape of a long donut. You can kinda see what I'm talking about in the pic I took of a Feigao I cut in half:
Yeah the core is there to keep the EMF from the motor from frying all the electrics in your truck. It concentrates the magnetic field from the stator in the area of the rotor magnets. In addition to protecting the devices around it it make the motor more efficient and powerful.
Good point BrianG... I should have known there would be some sort of shield/magnetic intensifying ring in there.
“The modern astrophysical concept that ascribes the sun’s energy to thermonuclear reactions deep in the solar interior is contradicted by nearly every observable aspect of the sun.” —Ralph E. Juergens
And on a slotted motor the laminated steel also acts as an emf container. So if the slotted stator was cut into individual stators the efficiency would decrease and also affect the other electric components near it.
Crikey I knew I was not electrically minded (not that way) but that never even crossed my mind