Patent ID: 7028583

Claim:
An axle assembly comprising: a first axle shaft defined substantially along a first axis of rotation; a second axle shaft defined substantially along said first axis of rotation; at least one electric motor defined substantially along a second axis of rotation transverse to said first axis of rotation, said at least one electric motor for driving both said first and said second axle shafts; a first stage gear reduction driven by said at least one electric motor, said first stage gear reduction including a drive gear driven about said second axis of rotation by said at least one electric motor and a driven gear driven by said drive gear; a second stage gear reduction driven by said first stage gear reduction, said second stage gear reduction including a pinion gear driven by said driven gear and a ring gear driven about said first axis of rotation by said pinion gear, said first axle shaft extending through said ring gear; a differential driven by said second stage gear reduction, said first axle shaft and said second axle shaft driven by said differential; and a third stage gear reduction driven by said ring gear and coupled to said differential.