Power transmission apparatus for an electric vehicle

A power transmission apparatus for an electric vehicle including a motor as a power source, the power transmission apparatus comprising:

• a first planetary gear set formed as a double pinion planetary gear set including a sun gear, a plurality of first pinion gears externally engaged with the sun gear, a plurality of second pinion gears externally engaged with the plurality of first pinion gears, each of the second pinion gears being externally engaged with two first pinion gears among the plurality of first pinion gears and disposed angularly both sides, a planet carrier rotatably supporting the plurality of first pinion gears and the plurality of second pinion gears, and a first ring gear internally engaged with the plurality of second pinion gears;
• a second planetary gear set formed as a single pinion planetary gear set including the sun gear shared with the first planetary gear set, the plurality of first pinion gears shared with the first planetary gear set, the planet carrier shared with the first planetary gear set, and a second ring gear internally engaged with the plurality of first pinion gears and fixedly connected to a rotor of the motor;
• a first brake selectively connecting a first ring gear of the first planetary gear set to a transmission housing;
• and
• a second brake selectively connecting the shared sun gear of the first and second planetary gear sets to the transmission housing,
• wherein the first and second planetary gear sets are combined to form a compound planetary gear set, and
• wherein the power transmission apparatus outputs a torque through the planet carrier.