Electric drive axle with mode adjustment mechanism and method for operation of said axle and mode adjustment mechanism

A method for operating an electric drive axle in a vehicle, comprising:

• shifting a mode adjustment mechanism into a disconnect mode, in the disconnect mode a lock ring is rotationally disconnected from an input gear;
• and
• shifting the mode adjustment mechanism into a lock mode;
• where in the lock mode the lock ring is rotationally engaged with a stationary ground spline;
• where the input gear is rotationally coupled to an electric motor-generator;
• where a one-way clutch is mounted on an output shaft;
• where the mode adjustment mechanism includes the lock ring rotationally coupled to the output shaft;
• and
• where the output shaft is coupled to an output gear rotationally coupled to a plurality of drive wheels.

An electric drive axle, comprising:

• an electric motor-generator rotationally coupled to a gearbox comprising:
• a one-way clutch mounted on an output shaft and operable in an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration, where in the engaged configuration, the one-way clutch transfers rotational energy from the output shaft to an output gear rotationally coupled to a plurality of drive wheels;
• and
• a mode adjustment mechanism including a lock ring rotationally coupled to the output shaft;
• where in a disconnect mode the lock ring in the mode adjustment mechanism is rotationally decoupled from the one-way clutch and the input gear;
• and
• a controller including instructions stored in non-transitory memory that when executed cause the controller to:
• shift the mode adjustment mechanism into a first gearing mode, where:
• the lock ring is rotationally coupled to the input gear;
• and
• a housing of the one-way clutch is rotationally engaged with the lock ring.