An apparatus, comprising: a power supply having a positive terminal (+V DC) and a negative terminal (-V DC); an electric machine having windings with magnetic energy stored in the windings; an electric machine controller configured to selectively operate the electric machine in a pulsed mode when a desired motor torque is determined to be below a substantially most efficient output torque for a current motor speed of the electric machine and in a continuous mode when the desired motor torque is determined to be above the substantially most efficient output torque via a power converter; and the power converter coupled between the power supply and the electric machine, the power converter arranged to deliver pulsed power to or receive pulsed power from the windings of the electric machine in response to the machine controller, the power converter having a positive voltage bus (+V BUS) and a negative voltage bus (-V BUS) and an inverter (S1 - S6); wherein the power converter includes a boost circuit comprising (i) a first switch to couple the positive voltage bus to the positive terminal and a second switch to couple the negative voltage bus to the negative terminal when turned on in response to the machine controller, (ii) a capacitor coupled to the positive voltage bus and the negative voltage bus, and wherein the inverter (S1 - S6) is coupled to the positive voltage bus (+V BUS) and the negative voltage bus (-V BUS); wherein the inverter (S1 - S6)controls power to and from the electric machine, and the capacitor is electrically connected with the inverter via the positive voltage bus (+V BUS) and the negative voltage bus (-V BUS); characterized in that the first switch and the second switch are electrically connected respectively between a positive terminal of the power supply (+V DC) and the inverter (S1 - S6) and a negative terminal of the power supply (-V DC) and the inverter (S1 - S6); wherein the boost circuit is arranged to extract at least some of the magnetic energy present in the electric machine at the end of a pulse when the first and second switches (SA, SB) are turned off and the electric potential difference between the positive voltage bus and the negative voltage bus is increased to reduce the pulse fall time to store at least some of the energy in the capacitor, and to apply at least some of the energy from the capacitor to the positive voltage bus and the negative voltage bus when the at least one switch is turned on at the beginning of a subsequent pulse, thereby reducing rise and fall times of the pulsed power relative to the rise and fall times of the pulsed power without the boost circuit. a power supply having a positive terminal (+V DC) and a negative terminal (-V DC); an electric machine having windings with magnetic energy stored in the windings; an electric machine controller configured to selectively operate the electric machine in a pulsed mode when a desired motor torque is determined to be below a substantially most efficient output torque for a current motor speed of the electric machine and in a continuous mode when the desired motor torque is determined to be above the substantially most efficient output torque via a power converter; and the power converter coupled between the power supply and the electric machine, the power converter arranged to deliver pulsed power to or receive pulsed power from the windings of the electric machine in response to the machine controller, the power converter having a positive voltage bus (+V BUS) and a negative voltage bus (-V BUS) and an inverter (S1 - S6); wherein the power converter includes a boost circuit comprising (i) a first switch to couple the positive voltage bus to the positive terminal and a second switch to couple the negative voltage bus to the negative terminal when turned on in response to the machine controller, (ii) a capacitor coupled to the positive voltage bus and the negative voltage bus, and wherein the inverter (S1 - S6) is coupled to the positive voltage bus (+V BUS) and the negative voltage bus (-V BUS); wherein the inverter (S1 - S6)controls power to and from the electric machine, and the capacitor is electrically connected with the inverter via the positive voltage bus (+V BUS) and the negative voltage bus (-V BUS); characterized in that the first switch and the second switch are electrically connected respectively between a positive terminal of the power supply (+V DC) and the inverter (S1 - S6) and a negative terminal of the power supply (-V DC) and the inverter (S1 - S6); wherein the boost circuit is arranged to extract at least some of the magnetic energy present in the electric machine at the end of a pulse when the first and second switches (SA, SB) are turned off and the electric potential difference between the positive voltage bus and the negative voltage bus is increased to reduce the pulse fall time to store at least some of the energy in the capacitor, and to apply at least some of the energy from the capacitor to the positive voltage bus and the negative voltage bus when the at least one switch is turned on at the beginning of a subsequent pulse, thereby reducing rise and fall times of the pulsed power relative to the rise and fall times of the pulsed power without the boost circuit.