Multi-speed electric drive axle using multi-layshaft transmission

An electric drive axle comprising:

• a housing assembly;
• an electric motor coupled to the housing assembly and having a motor shaft that is rotatable about a motor axis;
• a differential assembly received in the housing assembly, the differential assembly having a differential input member, which is rotatable about an output axis, and a pair of differential output members that are rotatable about the output axis;
• and
• a transmission received in the housing assembly and transmitting rotary power between the motor shaft and the differential input member, the transmission having an input shaft, which is rotatably coupled to the motor shaft and axially movable along the motor axis, a first reduction gearset, a second reduction gearset, and a coupling sleeve, the first reduction gearset having a first intermediate input gear and a first intermediate output gear, the first intermediate output gear being axially slidably and rotatably disposed on the input shaft, the first intermediate output gear being meshingly engaged with the first intermediate input gear and being rotatable about an intermediate axis that is parallel to the motor axis, the second reduction gearset having a second intermediate input gear, a second intermediate output gear, a first intermediate gear, a second intermediate gear, a third intermediate gear and a fourth intermediate gear, the input shaft being rotatable and axially slidable relative to the second intermediate input gear, the third intermediate gear and the fourth intermediate gear, the first intermediate gear being meshingly engaged to the second intermediate input gear, the second intermediate gear being coupled to the first intermediate gear for rotation therewith and meshingly engaged to the third intermediate gear, the fourth intermediate gear being meshingly engaged to the second intermediate output gear, the coupling sleeve being rotatable about the input shaft but being coupled to the input shaft for translation therewith along the motor axis, wherein the input shaft is movable between a first position, in which the input shaft is rotatably coupled to the first intermediate input gear and the coupling sleeve is rotationally decoupled from at least one of the third intermediate gear and the fourth intermediate gear, and a second position in which the input shaft is rotationally decoupled from the first intermediate input gear, the input shaft is rotationally coupled to the second intermediate input gear, and the coupling sleeve rotationally couples the third and fourth intermediate gears to one another.