A vehicle axle assembly including an axle housing, carrier assembly, and first and second axle shafts. The axle housing is formed from an upper beam and a lower beam that are positioned in a clam-shell arrangement. The carrier assembly includes a carrier housing and a differential that includes a ring gear arranged in meshing engagement with a pinion. The first and second axle shafts extend outwardly from the differential in opposite directions. The pinion is rotatably supported by a self-lubricating cartridge pinion input bearing and the outboard ends of the first and second axle shafts are rotatably supported by self-lubricating and unitized grease wheel end bearings. These bearings do not require lubrication from oil contained inside the axle housing allowing for a reduced oil fill level in the axle housing, creating less viscous losses and better efficiency.

An electric drive axle for a motor vehicle including an axle housing, an electric motor having an output shaft directly driven by a bevel pinion gear coupled thereto, a fixed ratio planetary gear arrangement, a differential unit including a differential gear arrangement housed within a differential case and a first clutch selectively operable to connect a portion of the planetary gear set to a stationary member of the drive axle so that the drive axle operates in a first gear ratio.

An axle assembly for a low floor vehicle is described herein. The axle assembly includes an axle housing and a drive unit for driving a wheel assembly. The axle housing including a first gearbox, a second gearbox and a cradle assembly coupling the first gear box to the second gear box. The axle assembly includes first and second hub assemblies that form a first axis of rotation. The first gearbox includes an electric motor that is coupled to a transmission used to rotate an output shaft. The first gearbox also includes a differential mounted for rotation with the transmission and a first drop box mounted for rotation with the differential. The axle assembly also includes a portal axle mounted for rotation with the first drop box and extends from the first gearbox to the second gearbox wherein the portal axle forms a second axis of rotation that is offset from the first axis of rotation of the hub assemblies. The second gearbox includes a second drop box mounted for rotation with the portal axle and is adapted to drive the second hub assembly.

A planetary gearset (6) has a sun gear (10) connected rotationally fixedly to an input shaft (8), a carrier (15) that carries planetary gears (11) and is connected rotationally fixedly to an output shaft (16), and a ring gear (14) fixedly connected to a housing (4) that encloses the planetary gearset (6). To reduce the noise emission from the planetary gearset with as little structural complexity as possible without reducing its efficiency due to pressure rings that are guided and slide against the planetary gears and the carrier, the sun gear (10), the planetary gears (11) and the ring gear (14) are provided with helical teeth and the input shaft (8) is at least indirectly supported on the housing (4), in both axial directions, by way of a single roller bearing (20).

A vehicle drive unit (11) includes a spindle (12) on which a female spline portion (12G) is formed, a wheel (15) disposed on an outer peripheral side of the spindle (12), wheel bearings 17, 18 that rotatably support the wheel (15) in relation to the spindle (12), an electric motor (21) located on an axial one side of the spindle (12), a shaft (22) connected to an output shaft (21B) of the electric motor (21), a planetary gear reduction device (25) disposed between the shaft (22) and the wheel (15), and a shaft bearing (46) that rotatably supports the shaft (22) in relation to the spindle (12). A retainer (42) retaining the shaft bearing (46) is disposed on an inner peripheral surface side of the spindle (12), and a male spline portion (42E), which is spline-coupled to a female spline portion (12G) of the spindle (12), is disposed on the retainer (42).

An axle assembly having an electric motor module, a drive pinion, and at least one rotor bearing assembly. The electric motor module may have a rotor. The rotor and the drive pinion may be rotatable about a first axis. The first rotor bearing assembly may extend between the drive pinion and the rotor.

A solid electric axle is suitable for use on a heavy duty work vehicle. One or two motors are concentric with the half-shafts. The main housing includes a center support and two other pieces which are bolted to the center support. A linear actuator is used to lock the differential and also to select a neutral mode in which the rotors of the motors can be stationary while the vehicle moves.

A drive unit for an electric vehicle, having an electric machine and a three-speed shift transmission with first, second and third shift elements, and two planetary sets which are coupled with each other. The first planetary set has a first sun gear shaft, first ring gear shaft and a first carrier shaft. The second planetary set has a second sun gear shaft, a second ring gear shaft and second carrier shaft. The first carrier shaft is fixed to the second ring gear shaft. The first sun gear shaft can be driven by an electric machine. The first ring gear shaft is fixed and output takes place via the second carrier shaft. The first shift elements are actuated to engage a first gear, the second shift elements are actuated to engage the second gear and the third shift elements are actuated to engage the third gear.

A heavy-duty vehicle may include a vehicle frame, a plurality of rear-wheel assemblies, and a plurality of front-wheel assemblies. The wheel assemblies are mounted to the vehicle frame. Each of the front-wheel assemblies may include a rim, a spindle, a brake assembly, a motor, and a transmission assembly. The spindle may be at least partially disposed within the rim. The brake assembly may be disposed within the rim and may extend around the spindle. The motor may be disposed within the cavity in the spindle. At least a portion of the motor is disposed between first and second axial ends of the rim. The transmission assembly may be disposed within the rim. The transmission assembly may transmit rotary motion of the motor to the rim to rotate the rim relative to the spindle.

A lubrication system for an in-wheel motor powertrain is proposed. The system includes a housing having a motor and supporting a wheel, and having a space therein; an input gear and an output gear provided in the housing; two intermediate gears each provided with a first gear meshed with the input gear, and a second gear meshed with the output gear and having a pitch circle diameter different from that of the first gear, the first and second gears being integrally and concentrically coupled together; a pump gear meshed with the input gear; a bearing plate rotatably supporting the input gear, the output gear, and the intermediate gears; a cover plate configured to provide a part of a lubrication pump driven by the pump gear; and a first oil supply part provided by the cover plate and a mid-plate to lubricate the output gear and the intermediate gears.