Patent ID: 6892837

Claim:
An electric drive system; comprising: a first output member; a second output member; an electric motor including an output shaft having an axis of rotation, the output shaft operatively engaged with the first and second output members to rotate the first and second output members; a differential steering system disposed between the electric motor and the first and second output members, the differential steering system including a first planetary gear assembly, a second planetary gear assembly, and a third planetary gear assembly, each of the first, second, and third planetary gear assemblies having a sun gear, a planet gear set, a ring gear, and a rotational axis that substantially aligns with the rotational axis of the output shaft; a steering motor operatively engaged with the at least one of the first, second and third planetary gear assemblies and operable to modify the rotational speed of the at least one planetary gear assembly to thereby adjust the rotational speed of one of the first and second output members relative to the other of the first and second output members; and a reaction member directly connecting the sun gears of the first, second, and third planetary gear assemblies.