A crawler drive unit relating to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a speed reduction mechanism provided in a running unit for causing a vehicle body to run, where the speed reduction mechanism is configured to transmit a driving force to a crawler provided on the running unit, a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the speed reduction mechanism, and an electric motor for applying a rotational force to the transmission mechanism. A motor shaft of the electric motor is positioned higher than a rotational axis of an input shaft of the speed reduction mechanism.

A suspension and traction system (MC) is described for vehicles equipped with a frame and a propulsive element (R), which by rolling on the ground (T) is adapted to move the vehicle relative to the ground (T). A rotary electric motor (12) operates two rotors (14, 16) independently controllable from one another to supply two epicycloidal mechanisms (20, 30) whose outer ring gears (28, 38) are independently movable to rotate about the respective solar gear (24, 34) and rigidly connected substantially to a same point (P) of the frame.

The universal wheel includes a base member, a connection member, a wheel member, a first driving element, and a second driving element. The connection member has a first end fixed to a top side of the base member. The wheel member is rotatably joined to the base member. The first driving element is configured on the base member for rotating the base member laterally within 360 degrees. The second driving element is for rotating the wheel member. The universal wheel can be turned 360 degrees when standing in place, and can be moved forward, laterally, slantwise, rotationally, or in a combination of these operations.

Vehicles are disclosed which have a lower center of gravity than existing all-terrain, amphibious, and unmanned ground vehicles due to the location of propulsion units and other vehicle components inside the wheels of the vehicle. The vehicles can climb over large obstacles yet are also able to corner at high speeds. The vehicles can be configured for direct manual operation or operation by remote control, and can also be configured for a wide variety of missions.

An axle drive (1) for a motor vehicle axle includes at least a first drive unit (2), a second drive unit (2), and an output axle (6). The first and second drive units (2) are arranged such that an overall center of gravity (7) of the axle drive (1) is situated proximate to a center of the output axle (6) and/or an axis of rotation of a vehicle wheel of the motor vehicle driven by the axle drive (1).

A transmission for an at least partially electrically driven vehicle includes two electric machines which are rotationally driveable in a first direction and in a second direction. The transmission further includes an output shaft at least indirectly operatively connected to the first and second electric machines, a first freewheel clutch that at least indirectly transmits a drive power of the first electric machine to the output shaft with a first ratio when the first electric machine rotates in the first direction, and a second freewheel clutch that at least indirectly transmits the drive power of the first electric machine to the output shaft with a second ratio when the first electric machine rotates in the second direction. Additionally, the transmission includes at least one first gear stage in power flow between the first or second freewheel clutch and the output shaft to rotate the output shaft in a third direction.

An electric drive system including: a rotary motor system including a hub assembly, a first rotating assembly, a second rotating assembly, and a third rotating assembly, wherein the hub assembly defines a rotational axis about which the first rotating assembly, the second rotating assembly, and the third rotating assembly are coaxially aligned and are capable of independent rotational movement independent of each other; a multi-bar linkage mechanism connected to each of the first and third rotating assemblies and connected to the hub assembly and constraining movement of the hub assembly so that the rotational axis of the hub assembly moves along a defined path that is in a transverse direction relative to the rotational axis and wherein the multi-bar linkage mechanism causes the rotational axis of the hub assembly to translate along the defined path in response to relative rotation of the first rotating assembly and the third rotating assembly with respect to each other.

A truck or trailer includes a wheel, a stub axle spindle extending through the wheel and having a through bore, a step-up drive ratio unit inboard of said stub-axle spindle, an axle shaft extending through the through bore of the stub-axle spindle, and a power conversion unit operatively connected to the step-up drive ratio unit. The axle shaft is operatively connected to the step-up drive ratio unit, such that, as the axle shaft rotates with the wheel, mechanical energy from rotation of the axle shaft is converted into electrical energy. A special suspension system allows for installation of the stub axle spindle, and such suspension systems are a separate focus herein as well as being usable in combination with the power conversion elements.

A scalable tractive power system for vehicles (car, truck, bus, semi-trailer), integrated with all-wheel steering system which leverage synergies between plurality of differently designed electric traction-motors and all-wheel electric steering-motors is configured with plurality of sensors to virtually eliminate wheel-dragging and EPS, as part of virtually 100% dynamic efficiency. A fully automated electronic clutch-system attached to selected electric traction motors is configured to carry out above 90% traction efficiency by coupling to wheels selected electric traction-motors in their high efficiency range of operation, and de-coupling and replacing electric traction-motors with another electric traction-motors while the vehicle is changing speed or when the vehicle requires higher or lower tractive-power, from forward-motion start to top-rated speed of the vehicle. A holistic controller is configured with multi-objective optimization design (MOOD) procedures computing complex variable values and parameters, finding the required trade-off among design objectives, and improving the pertinence of solutions, while complying with NHTSA's ‘fail operational systems’ for steer-by-wire.

An axle assembly for frame rail vehicles is described herein. The axle assembly includes a first axle shaft and a second axle shaft orientated along a first axis of rotation. A first electric machine is orientated along a second axis of rotation and a second electric machine is spaced from the first electric machine and orientated along a third axis of rotation. A differential gear set is disposed about the first axis of rotation and is coupled to and driven by a common gear reduction to transfer rotational torque from the first and second electric machines to the first and second axle shafts. A speed change mechanism is coupled between the common gear reduction and the differential gear set to change the rotational torque transferred to the first and second axle shafts.