Patent ID: 11904682
Assignee: MAGNA POWERTRAIN OF AMERICA, INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. An electric vehicle having a pair of laterally-spaced front wheels and a pair of laterally-spaced rear wheels, comprising:
a front electric drive axle assembly including a first front axle shaft connected to a first front wheel, a second front axle shaft connected to a second front wheel, and a front electric drive module operably disposed between the first and second front axle shafts, the front electric drive module including a front electric motor, a front differential assembly having a front differential input driven by the first electric motor, a first front differential output connected to the first front axle shaft and a second front differential output, a power-operated front differential locker unit, and a power-operated front disconnect unit, wherein the front differential locker unit is operable in an unlocked state to permit the first front differential output to rotate relative to the front differential input and in a locked state to prevent relative rotation between the front differential input and the first front differential output, and wherein the front disconnect unit is operable in a connected state to couple the second front differential output for rotation with the second front axle shaft and in a disconnected state to uncouple the second front differential output from the second front axle shaft;
a rear electric drive axle assembly including a first rear axle shaft connected to a first rear wheel, a second rear axle shaft connected to a second rear wheel, and a rear electric drive module operably disposed between the first and second rear axle shafts, the rear electric drive module including a rear electric motor, a rear differential assembly having a rear differential input driven by the rear electric motor, a first rear differential output, and a second rear differential output connected to the second rear axle shaft, a power-operated rear differential locker unit, and a power-operated rear disconnect unit, wherein the rear differential locker unit is operable in an unlocked state to permit the second rear differential output to rotate relative to the rear differential input and in a locked state to prevent relative rotation between the rear differential input and the second rear differential output, and wherein the rear disconnect unit is operable in a connected state to couple the first rear differential output for rotation with the first rear axle shaft and in a disconnected state to uncouple the first rear differential output from the first rear axle shaft; and
a vehicle control system operable for controlling coordinated actuation of the front electric drive module and the rear electric drive module.