Modern electric motors for road electric vehicles (automobiles, scooters, bicycles), light rail transit (street cars, trolley lines, subway trains), guided transit systems and elevators have been discussed. The paper aims at various types of rotary brushless motors, direct electromechanical drives and practical solutions to light traction systems. Modern permanent magnet (PM) motor technologies offer diversity of cutting-edge technology brushless motors, i.e., motors with one slot coil pitch windings, transverse flux motors, coreless disc type motors and PM assisted synchronous reluctance motors. There is a wide interest in liquid cooled traction motors and inverters as those apparatus minimize the volume of electromechanical drive systems and increase their power density. Frequently, the traction motor for road vehicles is integrated with a solid state converter. Light traction with linear motors has not been considered. Although induction motors are the most popular motors, PM brushless motors are more efficient, more compact, have better steady-state and dynamic performance at low speeds and are excellent motors for direct drive traction application.