Drive unit for a motor vehicle having an electric machine, which comprises - a gear-change transmission having a housing, - a rotor which is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis and which is coupled to a drive shaft acting on the vehicle wheels, - a stator, and - a first housing element which radially outwardly surrounds the rotor and the stator, wherein - the stator has an electrical winding whose winding ends (30a, b) are connected to a current source by means of a connection device arranged on or guided through a housing opening of the drive unit, wherein - the winding ends (30a, b) are connected to first contact elements which, as stator contacts, are arranged in a positionally fixed manner on the stator and within the radial extent of rotor and stator and which are configured as axial connectors with respect to the electric machine, wherein - the first contact elements are connected to second contact elements which are formed in a corresponding manner to the first contact elements, characterized in that - the second contact elements are arranged as wall contacts on a wall region of the drive unit that extends substantially radially to the axis of the rotor, and wherein - the wall region is formed on the housing of the gear-change transmission, wherein - the wall region separates the first housing element from a second housing element which receives the gearwheel assembly of the transmission, and wherein - the stator contacts and the wall contacts together form a plug connection, and wherein - the wall contacts are electrically connected to the connection device by means of busbars, wherein - the busbars are arranged within a receptacle, formed by the housing, for gearwheels of the gear-change transmission, and wherein - the housing opening is arranged on the second housing element. - a gear-change transmission having a housing, - a rotor which is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis and which is coupled to a drive shaft acting on the vehicle wheels, - a stator, and - a first housing element which radially outwardly surrounds the rotor and the stator, wherein - the stator has an electrical winding whose winding ends (30a, b) are connected to a current source by means of a connection device arranged on or guided through a housing opening of the drive unit, wherein - the winding ends (30a, b) are connected to first contact elements which, as stator contacts, are arranged in a positionally fixed manner on the stator and within the radial extent of rotor and stator and which are configured as axial connectors with respect to the electric machine, wherein - the first contact elements are connected to second contact elements which are formed in a corresponding manner to the first contact elements, characterized in that - the second contact elements are arranged as wall contacts on a wall region of the drive unit that extends substantially radially to the axis of the rotor, and wherein - the wall region is formed on the housing of the gear-change transmission, wherein - the wall region separates the first housing element from a second housing element which receives the gearwheel assembly of the transmission, and wherein - the stator contacts and the wall contacts together form a plug connection, and wherein - the wall contacts are electrically connected to the connection device by means of busbars, wherein - the busbars are arranged within a receptacle, formed by the housing, for gearwheels of the gear-change transmission, and wherein - the housing opening is arranged on the second housing element.