Patent ID: 7772728

Claim:
An electric drive system for facilitating conveyance of a vehicle, the electric drive system comprising: a cylindrical housing ( 1 ) accommodating an electric drive motor (M) and the electric drive motor (M) driving a wheel ( 4 ) via a transmission ( 2 ), coupling the electric drive motor (M) to the wheel ( 4 ), and the electric drive motor (M) being vertically aligned with and located over the wheel ( 4 ); an electric steering motor (S) being coupled to at least one of the electric drive motor (M), the cylindrical housing ( 1 ) and the transmission ( 2 ) for rotating at least the transmission ( 2 ) and the wheel ( 4 ) and facilitate steering of the electric drive system, and the drive motor (M) and the steering motor (S) being coaxial with one another; the cylindrical housing ( 1 ) being supported by a chassis of the vehicle and a wall ( 6 ) of the cylindrical housing ( 1 ) having at least one fluid cooling duct ( 7 ) therein for conveying a coolant liquid through the at least one cooling duct ( 7 ) to facilitate direct cooling of the cylindrical housing ( 1 ) as well as cooling of both of the drive motor (M) and the transmission ( 2 ); and a cooling circuit being connected to the at least one cooling duct ( 7 ) for conveying a coolant liquid through the at least one cooling duct ( 7 ) and cooling at least the electric drive motor (M) accommodated within the cylindrical housing ( 1 ).