Patent ID: 8480538

Claim:
A method of selecting a wheel drive mode of an electric vehicle from a plurality of possible wheel drive modes, each wheel drive mode selecting at least one of a plurality of ground engaging members to be operatively coupled to an electric motor of the electric vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first input in an operator area of the electric vehicle, the operator area having seating, the first input having a first setting corresponding to a first wheel drive mode, a second setting corresponding to a second wheel drive mode, and a third setting corresponding to a third wheel drive mode, wherein in the first wheel drive mode less than all of the ground engaging members positioned rearward of the front plane of the seating are operatively coupled to the electric motor, in the second wheel drive mode at least a portion of the ground engaging members positioned rearward of the front plane of the seating are operatively coupled to the electric motor, the portion of the ground engaging members including ground engaging members positioned on both sides of a vertical centerline plane of the electric vehicle, all of the at least two ground engaging members being positioned rearward of the front plane of the seating, and in the third wheel drive mode a first number of ground engaging members are operatively coupled to the electric motor, the first number being less than a total number of ground engaging members and in response to a loss of traction of at least one of the first number of ground engaging members a second number of ground engaging members are operatively coupled to the electric motor, the second number being greater than the first number; and providing a second input in the operator area of the electric vehicle, the second input having a first setting corresponding to a selection of engine braking when the third setting of the first input is selected, wherein the engine braking is provided by altering a driving voltage of the electric motor of the electric vehicle.