Abstract: An electric drive system uses a multiphase alternating current motor and inverter to convert power from a battery source to provide propulsion. The phase sets defined by the motor stator winding are excited by a corresponding plurality of inverters. Time harmonic currents in the windings are effectively suppressed by providing the drive motor in a configuration having high leakage inductance in the stator winding. The windings are arranged in sets of multiples of three-phase windings. In the illustrated embodiment, the inverters are arranged to define three-phase inverters for exciting m sets, where m.gtoreq.2, of three-phase windings of the motor stator. The number of multiphase winding sets is determined in a manner that eliminates the need for paralleling of inverter switching devices.