Electrical drives are used in numerous applications, ranging from very low power drives (like opening and closing a CD player tray) up to drives of many tens of MegaWatts as used in industrial applications, such as pumping, dredging and mining, among others. Roughly halfway this power range we find the drive systems used for the traction of vehicles such as cars, trucks, trains or buses, but also for many auxiliary vehicle functions (windscreen wiper, windows, fuel pump). The course 5XWB0 addresses the main technologies employed in modern electric drive systems, mainly for automotive applications: elements of mechanical motion, and modelling and control of electrical motors and of the power electronics systems that are used to drive them in a controlled way. More specifically, the “classic” DC motor with brushes and commutator and the “modern” PMSM motor are treated in detail, together with the associated electronic circuits and control systems. The course provides also an overview of new and emerging topics in Electric Drives Systems, as well as practical considerations relevant for the real-life applications. A laboratory assignment is used to apply the theory in practice.