The paper presents an SMPM multi-n-phase electric drive for traction application. The whole drive, motor structure, converter structure and a PWM control strategy is proposed. In particular the drive control and the DC-link advantage of a multi-phase structure is investigated in a specific machine design. The possibility to strongly reduce the DC-link capacitor stress is presented thanks to a phase shift in the PWM carriers of different converters. A comparison analysis is given for the same motor wounded and supplied in three different ways also considering fault conditions.