Drive device for a linear motor (201; 407), comprising: multiple drive coils (241, 245) that each have a DC-to-DC converter (261, 263), wherein a direct electric current can be in each case individually injected into the drive coils (241, 245) in order to form a magnetic field that can interact with the magnetic field of a magnetic rotor in order to drive or brake the magnetic rotor, an intermediate circuit that is electrically conductively connected to the drive coils (241, 245) in each case by means of the DC-to-DC converter (261, 263) such that electrical energy can be fed from the intermediate circuit into the respective drive coil (241, 245), or electrical energy can be fed from the respective drive coil (241, 245) into the intermediate circuit, by means of the respective DC-to-DC converter (261, 263), a voltage measuring device for measuring an electric intermediate circuit voltage, and a control device for controlling the DC-to-DC converters (261, 263), wherein the control device is designed to actuate at least one of the DC-to-DC converters (261, 263) in such a way that electrical energy is fed from the intermediate circuit into the drive coil (241, 245) corresponding to the actuated DC-to-DC converter (261, 263) when the intermediate circuit voltage measured by the voltage measuring device is greater than, or greater than or equal to, a predetermined intermediate circuit voltage threshold value, wherein the control device has a voltage monitoring function in order to establish when the intermediate circuit voltage measured by the voltage measuring device is greater than, or greater than or equal to, a predetermined intermediate circuit voltage threshold value, wherein the control device comprises a regulator request monitoring function in order to establish which drive coils (241, 245) are not currently being used to drive or brake the magnetic rotor, wherein the control device comprises a thermal monitoring function in order to establish whether a thermal load of the drive coils (241, 245) is less than a predetermined thermal load threshold value, and wherein the control device comprises an active current request generation function in order to determine which of the drive coils (241, 245) are to be supplied with an active electric current in order to divert the electrical energy from the intermediate circuit, wherein those drive coils that are currently being used for regulating the drive of the magnetic rotor and whose thermal load is greater than a predetermined thermal load threshold value are excluded from the supply of energy, wherein the control device is designed to regulate the active electric current that is injected into the individual drive coils (241, 245) independently. multiple drive coils (241, 245) that each have a DC-to-DC converter (261, 263), wherein a direct electric current can be in each case individually injected into the drive coils (241, 245) in order to form a magnetic field that can interact with the magnetic field of a magnetic rotor in order to drive or brake the magnetic rotor, an intermediate circuit that is electrically conductively connected to the drive coils (241, 245) in each case by means of the DC-to-DC converter (261, 263) such that electrical energy can be fed from the intermediate circuit into the respective drive coil (241, 245), or electrical energy can be fed from the respective drive coil (241, 245) into the intermediate circuit, by means of the respective DC-to-DC converter (261, 263), a voltage measuring device for measuring an electric intermediate circuit voltage, and a control device for controlling the DC-to-DC converters (261, 263), wherein the control device is designed to actuate at least one of the DC-to-DC converters (261, 263) in such a way that electrical energy is fed from the intermediate circuit into the drive coil (241, 245) corresponding to the actuated DC-to-DC converter (261, 263) when the intermediate circuit voltage measured by the voltage measuring device is greater than, or greater than or equal to, a predetermined intermediate circuit voltage threshold value, wherein the control device has a voltage monitoring function in order to establish when the intermediate circuit voltage measured by the voltage measuring device is greater than, or greater than or equal to, a predetermined intermediate circuit voltage threshold value, wherein the control device comprises a regulator request monitoring function in order to establish which drive coils (241, 245) are not currently being used to drive or brake the magnetic rotor, wherein the control device comprises a thermal monitoring function in order to establish whether a thermal load of the drive coils (241, 245) is less than a predetermined thermal load threshold value, and wherein the control device comprises an active current request generation function in order to determine which of the drive coils (241, 245) are to be supplied with an active electric current in order to divert the electrical energy from the intermediate circuit, wherein those drive coils that are currently being used for regulating the drive of the magnetic rotor and whose thermal load is greater than a predetermined thermal load threshold value are excluded from the supply of energy, wherein the control device is designed to regulate the active electric current that is injected into the individual drive coils (241, 245) independently.