Patent ID: 8157034

Claim:
A vehicle drive assembly, comprising: an engine; a transmission operably coupled with the engine; a transfer unit operably associated with the transmission; a front output shaft operably coupled with the transfer unit; a front differential operably coupled with the front output shaft; a front axle shaft rotatably coupled to the front differential; a front wheel selectively coupled to the front axle shaft via a front rotatable axle stub; an electric wheel motor, disposed between the front axle shaft and the front rotatable axle stub, operably coupled to the front wheel via the front rotatable axle stub; and a coupling device operably coupled with the electric wheel motor for selectively coupling the front axle stub with the front axle shaft, wherein the front wheel cannot be rotated by the engine via the front axle shaft when the front axle shaft is not coupled to the front axle stub, and wherein the front wheel is rotated via torque provided via the electric wheel motor when the front axle shaft is not coupled to the front axle stub.