Patent ID: 8899381

Claim:
An electric transaxle comprising: a transaxle casing defining a gear chamber therein; an electric motor including a motor casing attached to the transaxle casing, wherein the motor casing defines a motor chamber therein, and wherein a component of the electric motor is disposed in the motor chamber; an axle supported by the transaxle casing; a gear mechanism disposed in the gear chamber so as to transmit power from the electric motor to the axle; a first fluid sump provided in the gear chamber, wherein at least a part of the gear mechanism is submerged in the first fluid sump; a second fluid sump to which fluid of the first fluid sump raised by driving the gear mechanism is supplied; a first fluid introduction passage used to introduce the fluid raised from the first fluid sump to the second fluid sump when the axle is rotated in a forward traveling direction; and a second fluid introduction passage used to introduce the fluid raised from the first fluid sump to the second fluid sump when the axle is rotated in a backward traveling direction, wherein the transaxle casing includes symmetric portions such that either one of the symmetric portions of the transaxle casing define a lower portion of the gear chamber for providing the first fluid sump, wherein the electric transaxle includes symmetric reservoirs such that either one of the symmetric reservoirs serves as the second fluid sump, and wherein the electric transaxle includes symmetric guides each of which defines the first and second introduction fluid passages, such that either one of the symmetric guides is used for introducing fluid raised from the first fluid sump to the second fluid sump. wherein the symmetric portions of the transaxle casing the symmetric reservoirs and the symmetric guides are symmetric with respect to a plane along a length of the transaxle casing.