An electric motor (100, 200) comprising: a first subsystem and a second subsystem, one of the first and second subsystems comprising a magnetic rotor assembly (102, 140, 208, 800) and the other one of the first and second subsystems comprising a coil stator assembly (104, 144, 164, 210, 804); a hub assembly (106, 154) supporting the magnetic rotor assembly and the coil stator assembly and defining a rotational axis; and a bearing assembly (110, 112, 152, 153, 160, 808, 810) supporting at least one of the first and second subsystems on the hub assembly, wherein the magnetic rotor assembly comprises an array of torque-generating magnets (114, 206, 802); wherein the coil stator assembly comprises an array of driving coils opposing the array of torque-generating magnets of the magnetic rotor assembly; wherein the first subsystem comprises an array of lift-generating elements (116, 148, 202, 812) for generating axially directed magnetic fields; wherein the second subsystem comprises an electrically conductive region (128, 150, 166, 212, 818) aligned with and opposite to the array of lift-generating elements of the first subsystem, the array of lift-generating elements and the electrically conductive region separated from each other in the axial direction by a separation distance; and wherein the bearing assembly enables the magnetic rotor assembly to rotate about the rotational axis of the hub assembly and enables at least one of the first or second subsystems to move longitudinally along the rotational axis to allow the separation distance of the magnetic rotor assembly and the coil stator assembly to change in response to a lift force generated by eddy currents induced in the electrically conductive region by the movement of the array of lift-generating elements and the electrically conductive region with respect to each other; and wherein, as a rotational velocity of the magnetic rotor assembly increases, the separation distance increases causing a decrease in magnetic coupling between the array of torque-generating magnets and the array of driving coils. a first subsystem and a second subsystem, one of the first and second subsystems comprising a magnetic rotor assembly (102, 140, 208, 800) and the other one of the first and second subsystems comprising a coil stator assembly (104, 144, 164, 210, 804); a hub assembly (106, 154) supporting the magnetic rotor assembly and the coil stator assembly and defining a rotational axis; and a bearing assembly (110, 112, 152, 153, 160, 808, 810) supporting at least one of the first and second subsystems on the hub assembly, wherein the magnetic rotor assembly comprises an array of torque-generating magnets (114, 206, 802); wherein the coil stator assembly comprises an array of driving coils opposing the array of torque-generating magnets of the magnetic rotor assembly; wherein the first subsystem comprises an array of lift-generating elements (116, 148, 202, 812) for generating axially directed magnetic fields; wherein the second subsystem comprises an electrically conductive region (128, 150, 166, 212, 818) aligned with and opposite to the array of lift-generating elements of the first subsystem, the array of lift-generating elements and the electrically conductive region separated from each other in the axial direction by a separation distance; and wherein the bearing assembly enables the magnetic rotor assembly to rotate about the rotational axis of the hub assembly and enables at least one of the first or second subsystems to move longitudinally along the rotational axis to allow the separation distance of the magnetic rotor assembly and the coil stator assembly to change in response to a lift force generated by eddy currents induced in the electrically conductive region by the movement of the array of lift-generating elements and the electrically conductive region with respect to each other; and wherein, as a rotational velocity of the magnetic rotor assembly increases, the separation distance increases causing a decrease in magnetic coupling between the array of torque-generating magnets and the array of driving coils.