An electric machine has a housing, and in the housing has at least one electrical assembly including a rotor, and having a cooling device which, in the lower region of the housing, has a sump pan that is situated or developed there for a coolant. The cooling device further has at least one coolant spray device for spraying the electrical assembly with coolant, the sump pan having a coolant discharge which, during non-operation of the electric machine, feeds the coolant into a coolant reservoir and is dimensioned so that, during operation of the electric machine at a specified coolant volume flow of the coolant spray device, a coolant level, which wets the rotor, sets in the sump pan. A corresponding method is also provided.