An electric motor system, comprising: a motor unit comprising: a first part; a second part movable relative to the first part; a plurality of spaced activatable motor elements provided on the first part, each activatable motor element being operative when activated by application of an electric current thereto for creating relative movement between the first and second parts (120, 130)(120', 130'); and a plurality of power electronics drive modules, each power electronics drive module being operatively associated with a different subset of the plurality of activatable motor elements and comprising a power converter operative to convert direct current into a periodic current for powering the activatable motor elements; and a power supply arrangement comprising: at least one direct current power source; and a plurality of n parallel direct current power supply lines, each of the parallel direct current power supply lines being operative to transmit direct current from the at least one direct current power source to a different subset of the plurality of power electronics drive modules; characterised in that each power electronics drive module comprises a local control circuit operative to sense the relative position of the first part relative to the second part and to determine the optimum timing and magnitude of current to be delivered to the activatable motor element(s) under its control. a motor unit comprising: a first part; a second part movable relative to the first part; a plurality of spaced activatable motor elements provided on the first part, each activatable motor element being operative when activated by application of an electric current thereto for creating relative movement between the first and second parts (120, 130)(120', 130'); and a plurality of power electronics drive modules, each power electronics drive module being operatively associated with a different subset of the plurality of activatable motor elements and comprising a power converter operative to convert direct current into a periodic current for powering the activatable motor elements; and a first part; a second part movable relative to the first part; a plurality of spaced activatable motor elements provided on the first part, each activatable motor element being operative when activated by application of an electric current thereto for creating relative movement between the first and second parts (120, 130)(120', 130'); and a plurality of power electronics drive modules, each power electronics drive module being operatively associated with a different subset of the plurality of activatable motor elements and comprising a power converter operative to convert direct current into a periodic current for powering the activatable motor elements; and a power supply arrangement comprising: at least one direct current power source; and a plurality of n parallel direct current power supply lines, each of the parallel direct current power supply lines being operative to transmit direct current from the at least one direct current power source to a different subset of the plurality of power electronics drive modules; characterised in that each power electronics drive module comprises a local control circuit operative to sense the relative position of the first part relative to the second part and to determine the optimum timing and magnitude of current to be delivered to the activatable motor element(s) under its control. at least one direct current power source; and a plurality of n parallel direct current power supply lines, each of the parallel direct current power supply lines being operative to transmit direct current from the at least one direct current power source to a different subset of the plurality of power electronics drive modules; characterised in that each power electronics drive module comprises a local control circuit operative to sense the relative position of the first part relative to the second part and to determine the optimum timing and magnitude of current to be delivered to the activatable motor element(s) under its control.