A power converter (10) for operating a first electric machine (12) and a second electric machine (14), comprising:
a first converter element (16), a second converter element (18) and a first terminal connection (21), a second terminal connection (22) and a third terminal connection (23) for connecting the power converter (10) to a three-phase energy supply (60), wherein the first converter element (16) comprises a first rectifier circuit (31) and a second rectifier circuit (32), the second converter element (18) comprises a third rectifier circuit (33), wherein the first rectifier circuit (31) has a first AC-side pole (51) and a second AC-side pole (52), the second rectifier circuit (32) has a third AC-side pole (53) and a fourth AC-side pole (54) and the third rectifier circuit (33) has a fifth AC-side pole (55) and a sixth AC-side pole (56), the first rectifier circuit (31) and the second rectifier circuit (32) are connected in parallel on the DC-voltage side and are connected to a common first DC-voltage-side pole (41) and a common second DC-voltage-side pole (42), wherein the third rectifier circuit (33) is connected on the DC-voltage side to a third DC-voltage-side pole (43) and a fourth DC-voltage-side pole (44), wherein the first DC-voltage-side pole (41) is at least connectable to the third DC-voltage-side pole (43) by means of a first current path (36) and the second DC-voltage-side pole (42) is at least connectable to the fourth DC-voltage-side pole (44) by means of a second current path (37), wherein at least the first current path (36) or the second current path (37) comprises a semiconductor switch (64).