Fault-tolerant four-phase electric drive systems are provided. One such system comprises: a rotary electric machine having a permanent magnet rotor and an alternate-wound stator having eight evenly-spaced coils arranged in pairs, each coil in each pair being separated by 180 degrees; a first phase (ΦA) comprising a first one of the coil pairs and a first phase drive circuit connected therewith; a second phase (ΦB) separated by +45 degrees from the first phase and comprising a second one of the coil pairs and a second phase drive circuit connected therewith; a third phase (ΦC) separated by +90 degrees from the first phase and comprising a third one of the coil pairs and a third phase drive circuit connected therewith; a fourth phase (ΦD) separated by +135 degrees from the first phase and comprising a fourth one of the coil pairs and a fourth phase drive circuit connected therewith; and a controller connected with the first, second, third and fourth phase drive circuits to control operation thereof.