The traditional engine valve train in a combustion engine is the mechanically driven camshaft system that provides one-fixed valve timing. The variable valve timing (VVT), however, is highly required to achieve the significant improvement in fuel economy and lower emission. To provide the VVT, the double solenoid type of actuators with steel-made armature have been developed in past years, but it requires electric power in the most engine operating period, the starting is difficult and the efficiency is low. In this paper, a new linear actuator using permanent magnets is proposed and the dynamic performances are analyzed by finite-element analysis. The results show that the designed colenoid system has a fast transition time between valve events suitable for the practical use in combustion engine valve system