Patent attributes
An axle assembly for a low floor vehicle is described herein. The axle assembly includes an axle housing and a drive unit for driving a wheel assembly. The drive unit includes an axle shaft, a wheel end assembly, an electric machine, and a transmission unit. The axle shaft extends along an axle centerline axis between a first axle end and a second axle end. The wheel end assembly is coupled to the first axle end. The electric machine is positioned within the axle housing and includes a rotor shaft, a drive pinion coupled to the rotor shaft, and an electric motor for rotating the rotor shaft. The rotor shaft extends along a rotor shaft centerline axis that is orientated parallel to the axle centerline axis. The transmission unit is positioned within the axle housing and is configured to transfer torque from the electric machine to the axle shaft.
