A linear motor comprises a stator, the stator comprising multiple drive coils and an intermediate circuit electrically conductively connected to each drive coil, the intermediate circuit being configured to exchange energy with each drive coil. The drive coils are arranged along the running rail, where at least one slide comprising a magnet acting as a rotor of the linear motor is movably arranged on the running rail. A controller is configured to independently control each drive coil, so that electrical energy is fed from the intermediate circuit into the drive coils, if a measured intermediate circuit voltage is greater or equal to a predetermined intermediate circuit voltage threshold value, where those drive coils are excluded from the feed-in of the electrical energy which are instantaneously being used for driving or braking the at least one slide and/or have a thermal load which exceeds a predetermined thermal load threshold value.