Patent ID: 7287612

Claim:
A drive system for a vehicle, the vehicle having at least one first wheel that is driven by a first electric machine and at least one second wheel driven by a second electric machine, in a drive train of which a shiftable transmission that can be shifted between at least two speed transmission steps is arranged between the second electric machine and the second wheel, comprising: a device for the detection of a shift command; and, a control unit, which in the presence of a shift command automatically applies a greater load on the electric machine driving the first wheel, controls the shifting operation of the shiftable transmission of the second wheel and then lowers the load of the electric machine driving the first wheel, wherein a generator that is driven by an internal combustion engine serves as an energy source for the electric machines, the electric machines being designed such that the electric machines can be operated both as an electric motors driving the associated wheels and as generators braking the wheels, and wherein at least one converter and an intermediate circuit are arranged downstream from the generator in such a way that the generator can be driven electrically by the power released by the electric machine operating as a generator in the electric braking operation and thus operate as an electric motor.