US Patent 11999227 Electric drive axle with a gearbox and gearbox operating method

Methods and systems for an electric drive axle are provided. An electric drive axle, in one example, includes an electric machine rotationally coupled to a gearbox which includes a higher range planetary gear set coupled to a lower range planetary gear set via a clutch. The clutch is configured to selectively rotationally couple an input gear to a sun gear in each of the higher range planetary gear set and the lower range planetary gear set in different positions or selectively rotationally couple a carrier in the higher range planetary gear set to a carrier and a sun gear in the lower range planetary gear set in different positions.