An electric machine, in particular an electric motor and/or generator, has a stator and a rotor which is designed to be permanently magnetic or to be energized in particular. The machine has at least two sub-machines. Each of the sub-machines has the same number of phases. The machine has a power output stage for each sub-machine, and the machine also has at least one control unit which is connected to the power output stages. The control unit is designed to generate a pulse width-modulated signal for actuating the power output stages. The control unit is designed to generate the PWM signal for the sub-machines such that an ascending or descending side of a PWM pulse for one sub-machine, said side representing a switching time in each case, and a pulse center of a PWM pulse for another sub-machine of the sub-machines are delayed relative to each other.