Permanent magnet operating mechanism for use in automatic transfer switch

An automatic transfer switch system comprises: a contact subsystem comprising a plurality of movable contact components and at least one fixed contact component, wherein the plurality of movable contact components comprise at least one first movable contact component at a first location and at least one second movable contact component at a second location. The switch system further comprises a permanent magnet operating mechanism and a solenoid, wherein the permanent magnet operating mechanism is configured to control the plurality of movable contact components to be opened or closed with respect to the fixed contact component, so as to generate a maintenance force to maintain a state of the at least one first movable contact component to be at the first location and a state of the at least one second movable contact component to be at the second location, and the solenoid is configured to enable movements of the at least one first movable contact component at the first location and the at least one second m