ADVANCED electric drive traction systems are being developed in order to ensure better energy efficiency for the emerging and future transportation systems such as electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), as well as electrified and advanced tractions and propulsions for trains, subways, ships, and airplanes. The research and development aims at reducing energy consumption and pollutant emissions in order to improve sustainability and address climate change. In this special section, The three first papers deal with new electric drives (a new electromagnetic active suspension, an electric variable transmission, and a charger-traction drive) where the design is realized by taking into account the constraints of the entire vehicle system. Two papers present the energy management of complex hybrid energy storage subsystems (fuel cell/supercapacitor and fuel-cell/battery/supercapacitor) using a new 'system description' [Energetic Macroscopic Representation (EMR)]. Two papers propose statistical studies of real-life drive cycles for the design and analysis of new low-carbon vehicles (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles).