An elevator drive system (40) includes a permanent magnet (PM) synchronous electric motor (34) including a plurality of phases and a plurality of motor drives (55, 58) electrically connected to the PM synchronous electric motor. Each of the plurality of motor drives is operatively connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of phases. The plurality of motor drives is configured and disposed to deliver a torque current divided equally between each of the plurality of phases and independently deliver flux current to the corresponding one of the plurality of phases.