JP2011073601A - Electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To compactly arrange an electric motor, a decelerator mechanism and a connection/disconnection mechanism while facilitating a start on a slope and the like and maintaining flexibility in design of a swing arm in an electric vehicle, in which the electric motor and the decelerator mechanism are housed in the swing arm. <P>SOLUTION: A connection/disconnection mechanism 40 for switching connection/disconnection of power transmission by shutting off the power transmission at least during the start is arranged between a motor shaft 38 arranged coaxially with an axle 5 of a driving wheel WR and the decelerator mechanism 39 coaxially with the axle 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric motor that exerts power for rotationally driving the driving wheel in a swing arm in which a front end is swingably supported on a vehicle body frame and a driving wheel is pivotally supported on a rear part, and the electric motor The present invention relates to an electric vehicle in which a motor shaft and a speed reduction mechanism interposed between axles of the drive wheels are housed.

  An electric motor housed in the swing arm so as to exert power for driving the rear wheels, which are driving wheels, includes a planetary gear mechanism, which is a speed reduction mechanism, and a one-way clutch, which cuts off power transmission from the rear wheels. An electric two-wheeled vehicle connected to the rear wheel axle via a wheel is already known from Patent Document 1.

JP 2003-191882 A

  By the way, it is easy to control the rotation of the electric motor after starting to rotate, but it is difficult to start rotating in an overload state, and like the electric motorcycle disclosed in Patent Document 1 above. In the configuration in which the rotational power of the electric motor is transmitted to the axle of the rear wheel via the speed reduction mechanism and the one-way clutch, the electric motor is overloaded when starting on a slope or the like, making it difficult to start. Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a power transmission system between the motor shaft of the electric motor and the axle of the rear wheel with a connection / disconnection mechanism that switches connection / disconnection of power transmission. It is considered that the design of the swing arm strength is greatly restricted by the increase in the size of the device around the axle and the distribution of mass. Accordingly, it is desirable to arrange the electric motor, the speed reduction mechanism, and the disconnection / contact mechanism in a compact manner in consideration of the design freedom of the swing arm.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the electric motor, the speed reduction mechanism, and the disconnection / connection mechanism are compactly integrated while facilitating starting on a slope and the like, while maintaining the design freedom of the swing arm. An object is to provide an electric vehicle that can be arranged.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention exerts power for rotationally driving the driving wheel on a swing arm whose front end is pivotably supported on the body frame and whose driving wheel is pivotally supported at the rear. In an electric vehicle in which an electric motor is housed and a speed reduction mechanism is interposed between the motor shaft of the electric motor and the axle of the drive wheel, the motor shaft disposed coaxially with the axle of the drive wheel, and the speed reduction mechanism The first feature is that a breaking / contacting mechanism for switching between breaking / contacting of the power transmission so as to cut off the power transmission at least at the time of starting is arranged coaxially with the axle.

  In addition to the configuration of the first feature, the present invention has a second feature that the disconnection / connection mechanism is a centrifugal clutch that is in a power transmission state when the rotational speed of the motor shaft is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. .

  In the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second feature, the driving wheel is disposed on one side of the electric motor in a direction along the axis of the axle, and the disconnection / connection mechanism is an axis of the axle. It is a third feature that the electric motor is disposed on the other side in a direction along the direction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the third feature, the speed reduction mechanism is arranged on the outer side of the disconnection / contact mechanism so that the disconnection / contact mechanism is sandwiched between the electric motor and the electric motor. It is characterized by.

  In addition to any of the configurations of the first to fourth features, the present invention provides that the disconnection / contact mechanism includes a drive plate fixed to the motor shaft, a centrifugal weight supported by the drive plate, A centrifugal clutch comprising a clutch outer capable of frictional engagement and engagement of a centrifugal weight, and one of the components constituting the planetary gear mechanism serving as the speed reduction mechanism is connected to the clutch outer coaxially and in a relatively non-rotatable manner. Is the fifth feature.

  According to the present invention, in addition to any one of the first to fifth features, the swing arm is rotatably supported at the front end portion of the vehicle body frame and houses the electric motor and the disconnection / connection mechanism. The swing arm main part to be mounted and a gear case detachably attached to the swing arm main part are provided, and the speed reduction mechanism is housed between the gear case and the swing arm main part.

  The seventh feature of the present invention is that, in addition to any of the configurations of the first to sixth features, the breaking / contacting mechanism is disposed in a wheel hub of the drive wheel in a side view.

  Furthermore, in addition to any one of the configurations of the first to seventh features, the present invention further includes a projecting portion that projects outward from the front portion of the swing arm at the rear portion of the swing arm, Is stored in the projecting portion.

  The reduction gear mechanism 39 and the planetary gear mechanism 79 of the embodiment correspond to the reduction mechanism of the present invention, the centrifugal clutch 40 of the embodiment corresponds to the disconnection / connection mechanism of the present invention, the sun gear 85 of the embodiment, The ring gear 86 and the planet carrier 88 correspond to the components of the present invention, and the rear wheel WR of the embodiment corresponds to the drive wheel of the present invention.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the electric motor and the connection / disconnection mechanism are arranged coaxially with the axle of the drive wheel, the electric motor, the connection / disconnection mechanism, and the speed reduction mechanism are integrated around the axle. The electric motor, the speed reduction mechanism, and the breaking / contacting mechanism can be arranged in a compact manner while maintaining the design freedom of the swing arm. Moreover, since the disconnection / connection mechanism cuts off the power transmission at least at the time of starting, the electric motor can be started without being overloaded, and this is particularly advantageous for starting on a slope.

  Further, according to the second feature of the present invention, since the connection / disconnection mechanism is a centrifugal clutch, it is possible to prevent the electric motor from being overloaded at least at the time of starting with a simple structure and to operate the electric motor. The vehicle can be pushed and walked easily in the stop state.

  According to the third feature of the present invention, the drive wheel is arranged on one side of the electric motor in the direction along the axis of the axle, and the disconnect / contact mechanism is arranged on the other side of the electric motor. Can be arranged near the center in the width direction.

  According to the fourth feature of the present invention, since the speed reduction mechanism is disposed outside the breaking / contacting mechanism so as to sandwich the breaking / contacting mechanism with the electric motor, the swing arm in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is large. The speed reduction mechanism can be arranged while avoiding the conversion.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, one component of the planetary gear mechanism that is the speed reduction mechanism is coaxially and non-rotatably coupled to the clutch outer provided in the centrifugal clutch that is the connection / disconnection mechanism. The planetary gear mechanism can be made compact so as to prevent the swing arm from protruding outward due to the arrangement of the planetary gear mechanism.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the swing arm includes a swing arm main part that houses the electric motor and the disconnection / contact mechanism, and a gear case that is detachably attached to the swing arm main part, and the speed reduction mechanism is Since it is housed between the gear case and the swing arm main part, the maintenance of the speed reduction mechanism is facilitated.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the breaking / contacting mechanism is disposed in the wheel hub of the driving wheel in a side view, the power transmission system between the electric motor and the axle of the driving wheel can be made compact. it can.

  Further, according to the eighth feature of the present invention, since the speed reduction mechanism is housed in the projecting portion formed at the rear portion of the swing arm so as to project outward, the deceleration is performed by applying the traveling wind to the projecting portion. The mechanism can be cooled effectively.

1 is a side view of an electric motorcycle according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. First, in FIG. 1, this electric vehicle is a scooter type electric motorcycle having a low floor 24 and a rear wheel WR that is a drive wheel. The rear wheel WR is rotationally driven by the rotational power exhibited by the electric motor 7 incorporated in the swing arm 6A that pivotally supports the axle 5 at the rear.

  A body frame F of this electric motorcycle includes a head pipe 10 that pivotally supports a front fork 8 that pivotally supports a front wheel WF, and a steering handle 9 that is coupled to the upper portion of the front fork 8. A main frame 11 extending rearwardly, a pair of left and right side frames 12 connected to a lower portion of the main frame 11 and extending rearward, and left and right extending integrally with the rear ends of the side frames 12. And a pair of rear frames 13.

  A main stand 15 is pivotally attached to pivot plates 14 provided in front of both rear frames 13 in the vehicle body frame F, and the swing arm disposed on the left side of the rear wheel WR. A front portion of 6A is swingably supported via a support shaft 16, and a rear cushion unit 17 is provided between the rear portion of the left rear frame 13 and the rear portion of the swing arm 6A. .

  A high voltage battery 18 of, for example, 72V for supplying electric power to the electric motor 7 is arranged between the side frames 12... So as to be supported by the side frames 12. In the meantime, a storage box 19 disposed above the swing arm 6A in a side view is disposed so as to be supported by both rear frames 13, and the storage box 19 is an openable / closable seat. 20 is covered from above.

  The vehicle body frame F is covered with a vehicle body cover 21 made of synthetic resin. The vehicle body cover 21 includes a front cowl 22 that covers the head pipe 10 from the front, and a leg of an occupant sitting on the riding seat 20. A leg shield 23 connected to the front cowl 22 so as to cover the front part, and a lower part of the leg shield 23 so as to place a foot of an occupant sitting on the riding seat 20 and the high-voltage battery 18 A low floor 24 that covers from above, a side cover 25 that hangs down from both sides so as to cover both side frames 12 from both sides, the rear frame 13, and the storage box 19. A seat cowl 26 that covers a lower portion and a front portion of the swing arm 6A from both sides, and the ride seat 0 is disposed on the seat cowl 26. A headlamp 27 is attached to the front part of the front cowl 22, a meter unit 28 including a speedometer and the like is attached to the upper part of the front cowl 22, and a taillight 29 is attached to the rear upper part of the seat cowl 26. .

  Behind the head pipe 10 is covered with a leg shield 23, for example, a 12V low voltage battery 30 for supplying power to auxiliary equipment such as the headlight 27 and taillight 29, a control device (not shown) and the like. Arranged in this way. The low voltage battery 30 can be charged with the electric power of the high voltage battery 18. A DC-DC converter 31 that converts the high voltage of the high voltage battery 18 to a low voltage, a fuse, A contactor box 32 that houses a relay or the like is disposed.

  In addition, a power unit drive 33 that converts a direct current supplied from the high voltage battery 18 into an alternating current and supplies it to the electric motor 7 is housed and arranged in the lower front portion of the swing arm 6A. A smoothing capacitor 34 for removing the waveform vibration is housed and disposed in the front portion of the swing arm 6A so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the power unit drive 33.

  In FIG. 2, the axle 5 of the rear wheel WR formed by attaching a tire 37 to a wheel 36 is pivotally supported on the rear portion of a swing arm 6A, and a motor shaft 38 coaxial with the axle 5 is supported on the swing arm 6A. The electric motor 7 having the above, the reduction gear mechanism 39 that is a reduction mechanism interposed between the motor shaft 38 and the axle 5, and disconnecting / connecting the power transmission so as to cut off the power transmission at least at the start. A centrifugal clutch 40 is housed between the motor shaft 38 and the reduction gear mechanism 39 so as to be switched, and is connected to the axle 5 and coaxially as a disconnection / connection mechanism.

  The swing arm 6A has a front end pivotably supported on the pivot plate 14 of the vehicle body frame F, and a swing arm main portion 41 that houses the electric motor 7 and the centrifugal clutch 40, and the swing arm main portion 41. And a gear case 42 that is detachably attached.

  The swing arm main portion 41 includes an inner case 43 extending rearward from the pivot plate 14 and an outer case 44 disposed on the opposite side of the rear case WR with respect to the inner case 43 by a plurality of bolts 75. The gear case 42 is detachably fastened to the outer surface of the outer case 44 at a rear portion of the swing arm main portion 41 with a plurality of bolts 67, 67.

  The axle 5 that penetrates and is fixed to the center portion of the wheel 37 in the rear wheel WR passes through the rear portion of the inner case 43 in the swing arm main portion 41 so as to be rotatable, and between the axle 5 and the inner case 43, A ball bearing 45 and an annular seal member 46 positioned inward of the ball bearing 45 are interposed, and the inner case 43 is integrally formed with a cylindrical support portion 43 a surrounding the axle 5. The

  The electric motor 7 is fixed to a stator 48 having a stator coil 47 and fixed to the support portion 43 a, and a cylindrical motor shaft 38 coaxially surrounding the axle 5, and coaxially within the stator 48. A plurality of needle bearings 50, 50,... Arranged between the motor shaft 38 and the axle 5 with an interval in the axial direction. Is installed.

  The electric motor 7 is provided in a motor chamber 53 formed between the inner case 43 and a motor cover 52 detachably fastened to the support portion 43a of the inner case 43 by a plurality of bolts 51, 51. Stored. In addition, the axle 5 and the motor shaft 38 pass through the motor cover 52 in a rotatable manner, and a ball bearing 54 is interposed between the motor cover 52 and the motor shaft 38.

  By the way, the rear wheel WR is arranged on one side of the electric motor 7 in the direction along the axis of the axle 5 (on the right side in the first embodiment), whereas the centrifugal clutch 40 is arranged on the axis of the axle 5. Is arranged on the other side of the electric motor 7 (left side in the first embodiment) in a direction along the direction. That is, the centrifugal clutch 40 is disposed at a position where the electric motor 7 is sandwiched between the centrifugal clutch 40 and the rear wheel WR.

  The centrifugal clutch 40 frictionally engages the drive plate 56 fixed to the motor shaft 38, the centrifugal weights 57, 57... Supported at a plurality of locations of the drive plate 56, and the centrifugal weights 57, 57. .. And a clutch spring 59 provided between the centrifugal weights 57, 57... And the drive plate 56. The clutch outer 58 surrounds the axle 5 coaxially and It is fixed to a transmission cylinder shaft 60 that passes through the outer case 44 in a freely rotatable manner.

  When the centrifugal force acting on the centrifugal weights 57, 57... In response to the rotation of the motor shaft 38 and the drive plate 56 exceeds the spring urging force of each clutch spring 59. , 57... Are frictionally engaged with the inner periphery of the clutch outer 58 so that the motor shaft 38 and the transmission cylinder shaft 60 are in a power transmission state. That is, the centrifugal clutch 40 is in a power transmission state when the rotational speed of the motor shaft 38 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

  Between the transmission cylinder shaft 60 and the outer case 44, a ball bearing 61 and an annular seal member 62 positioned inward of the ball bearing 61 are interposed. An annular seal member 63 is interposed between the one end portion and the motor shaft 38.

  Moreover, the centrifugal clutch 40 is disposed in the wheel hub 36a of the wheel 36 in the rear wheel WR in a side view, and in FIG. 2, two virtual straight lines L, L passing through the outer periphery of the wheel hub 36a. The centrifugal clutch 40 is disposed therebetween.

  The reduction gear mechanism 39 is disposed on the outer side of the centrifugal clutch 40 so as to sandwich the centrifugal clutch 40 with the electric motor 7. In addition, a projecting portion 65 projecting outward from the front portion of the swing arm 6A is formed at the rear portion of the swing arm 6A, and the reduction gear mechanism 39 is housed in the projecting portion 65.

  The overhanging portion 65 is constituted by a gear case 42 that is detachably attached to the swing arm main portion 41 by a plurality of bolts 67, 67..., And the reduction gear mechanism 39 includes the gear case 42 and the swing arm main portion. It is housed in a gear chamber 66 formed between the portions 41.

  The reduction gear mechanism 39 is fixed to a drive gear 67 fixed to the end of the transmission cylinder shaft 60 in the gear chamber 66 and an idle shaft 71 having an axis parallel to the axle 5 and the transmission cylinder shaft 60. The first idle gear 68 meshed with the drive gear 67, the second idle gear 69 provided integrally with the idle shaft 71, and the transmission shaft 72 arranged coaxially with the axle 5 and the transmission cylinder shaft 60. And a driven gear 70 meshed with the second idle gear 69.

  Both end portions of the idle shaft 71 are rotatably supported by the outer case 44 and the gear case 42. One end portion of the transmission shaft 72 is connected to the other end portion of the axle 5 in the transmission cylinder shaft 60, for example, coaxially and relatively non-rotatably by fitting, and the other end portion of the transmission shaft 72 is a ball. A bearing 73 is rotatably supported on the gear case 42, and a needle bearing 74 is interposed between the transmission cylinder shaft 60 and the transmission shaft 72.

  Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. The motor shaft 38 of the transmission motor 7 housed in the swing arm 6A is disposed coaxially with the axle 5 of the rear wheel WR, and the motor shaft 38 and the motor Between the axle 5 and the reduction gear mechanism 39 interposed between the axle 5 and the axle 5, there is provided a breaking / contacting mechanism for switching the breaking / contact of the power transmission so as to cut off the power transmission at least at the time of starting. Since it is arranged coaxially, the electric motor 7, the disconnection / connection mechanism and the reduction gear mechanism 39 can be collectively arranged around the axle 5, and the electric motor is maintained while maintaining the design freedom of the swing arm 6A. 7. The reduction gear mechanism 39 and the breaking / contacting mechanism can be arranged in a compact manner. Moreover, since the breaking / contacting mechanism cuts off the power transmission at least at the time of starting, the electric motor 7 can be started without being overloaded, which is particularly advantageous for starting on a slope.

  Moreover, since the disconnection / connection mechanism is the centrifugal clutch 40 that is in a power transmission state when the rotational speed of the motor shaft 38 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the electric motor 7 should not be overloaded at least at the time of starting with a simple structure. In addition, the vehicle can be pushed and walked easily when the electric motor 7 is stopped.

  A rear wheel WR is disposed on one side of the electric motor 7 in a direction along the axis of the axle 5, and the centrifugal clutch 40 is disposed on the other side of the electric motor 7 in a direction along the axis of the axle 5. Therefore, the heavy object can be arranged around the center of the vehicle body in the width direction.

  The reduction gear mechanism 39 is disposed on the outer side of the centrifugal clutch 40 so that the centrifugal clutch 40 is sandwiched between the electric motor 7 and the reduction gear while avoiding an increase in the size of the swing arm 6A in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A mechanism 39 can be arranged.

  By the way, the swing arm 6A has a front end portion pivotably supported on the pivot plate 14 of the vehicle body frame F and a swing arm main portion 41 that houses the electric motor 7 and the centrifugal clutch 40, and the swing arm main portion. 41, and the reduction gear mechanism 39 is housed in a gear chamber 66 between the gear case 42 and the swing arm main portion 41, so that the gear case 42 is separated from the swing arm main portion 41. By removing, the reduction gear mechanism 39 can be easily maintained. Further, the centrifugal clutch 40 can be maintained in a state where the coupling of the inner case 43 and the outer case 44 is released and the swing arm main portion 41 is disassembled. At this time, unless the motor cover 52 is removed, the transmission motor 7 There is no risk of intrusion of dust from outside.

  Further, since the centrifugal clutch 40 is disposed in the wheel hub 36a of the retail WR in a side view, the power transmission system between the electric motor 7 and the axle 5 of the rear wheel WR can be made compact.

  Further, a projecting portion 65 projecting outward from the front portion of the swing arm 6A is formed at the rear portion of the swing arm 6A, and the reduction gear mechanism 39 is accommodated in the projecting portion 65. The reduction gear mechanism 39 can be effectively cooled in such a way as to apply the traveling wind.

  A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3, but the portions corresponding to the first embodiment are only shown with the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail.

  The swing arm 6B includes an electric motor 7 having a motor shaft 38 coaxial with the axle 5 of the rear wheel WR, a planetary gear mechanism 79 that is a reduction mechanism interposed between the motor shaft 38 and the axle 5, and at least When the vehicle is started, the power transmission is interrupted so as to switch the power transmission between the motor shaft 38 and the planetary gear mechanism 79 and is arranged coaxially with the axle 5. A centrifugal clutch 40 as a mechanism is accommodated.

  The swing arm 6B has a front end portion pivotably supported on the pivot plate 14 of the vehicle body frame F, and a swing arm main portion 41 that houses the electric motor 7 and the centrifugal clutch 40, and the swing arm main portion 41. The rear case 44 includes a gear case 82 detachably fastened to the outer surface of the outer case 44 by a plurality of bolts 80, 80.

  The planetary gear mechanism 79 is disposed on the outer side of the centrifugal clutch 40 so as to sandwich the centrifugal clutch 40 with the electric motor 7. In addition, a projecting portion 83 projecting outward from the front portion of the swing arm 6B is formed at the rear portion of the swing arm 6B, and the planetary gear mechanism 79 is housed in the projecting portion 83.

  The overhang portion 83 is configured by a gear case 82 that is detachably attached to the swing arm main portion 41 by a plurality of bolts 80, 80..., And the planetary gear mechanism 79 includes the gear case 82 and the swing arm main portion. Housed in a gear chamber 84 formed between the portions 41.

  The planetary gear mechanism 79 includes a sun carrier 85, a ring gear 86, and a planet carrier 88 that pivotally supports a plurality of planet gears 87 meshing with the sun gear 85 and the ring gear 86. One sun gear 85 is connected to the clutch outer 58 of the centrifugal clutch 40 coaxially and in a relatively non-rotatable manner. Thus, in the second embodiment, the sun gear 85 is fixed coaxially to the transmission cylinder shaft 60 connected to the clutch outer 58, the ring gear 86 is fixed to the gear case 82, and the planetary carrier 88 is connected to the axle 5 And it is fixed to a transmission shaft 89 arranged coaxially with the transmission cylinder shaft 60.

  One end portion of the transmission shaft 89 is connected to the other end portion of the axle 5 in the transmission cylinder shaft 60, for example, by fitting so as to be non-rotatable. The other end portion of the transmission shaft 89 is a ball. The gear case 82 is rotatably supported via a bearing 90, and a needle bearing 91 is interposed between the transmission cylinder shaft 60 and the transmission shaft 89.

  According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the sun gear 85 that is one component of the planetary gear mechanism 79 is coaxially connected to the clutch outer 58 provided in the centrifugal clutch 40. Since they are connected so as not to rotate relative to each other, the planetary gear mechanism 79 can be made compact so as to prevent the swing arm 6B from projecting outward due to the arrangement of the planetary gear mechanism 79.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the present invention described in the claims. Is possible.

5 ... Axles 6A, 6B ... Swing arm 7 ... Electric motor 36a ... Wheel hub 38 ... Motor shaft 39 ... Reduction gear mechanism 40 as a reduction mechanism ... Disconnection / connection mechanism Centrifugal clutch 41 ... swing arm main parts 42, 82 ... gear case 56 ... drive plate 57 ... centrifugal weight 58 ... clutch outer 65, 83 ... overhang 79 ... deceleration Planetary gear mechanism 85 as a mechanism ... Sun gear 86 as a component of the planetary gear mechanism ... Ring gear 88 as a component of the planetary gear mechanism ... Planetary carrier F as a component of the planetary gear mechanism ... Body frame WR: Rear wheel as drive wheel

Claims (8)

  Power for rotationally driving the drive wheels (WR) is applied to swing arms (6A, 6B) whose front ends are pivotally supported by the body frame (F) and whose drive wheels (WR) are pivotally supported at the rear. An electric motor (7) to be exhibited is housed, and a speed reduction mechanism (39, 79) is interposed between the motor shaft (38) of the electric motor (7) and the axle (5) of the drive wheel (WR). In the vehicle, power transmission is interrupted at least at the time of starting between the motor shaft (38) disposed coaxially with the axle (5) of the drive wheel (WR) and the speed reduction mechanism (39, 79). An electric vehicle characterized in that a disconnection / connection mechanism (40) for switching between transmission / disconnection of power transmission is arranged coaxially with the axle (5).   2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the connection / disconnection mechanism is a centrifugal clutch (40) that enters a power transmission state when the rotation speed of the motor shaft (38) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.   The drive wheel (WR) is disposed on one side of the electric motor (7) in a direction along the axis of the axle (5), and the breaking / contacting mechanism (40) is along the axis of the axle (5). Electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is arranged on the other side of the electric motor (7) in a direction.   The speed reduction mechanism (39, 79) is disposed on the outer side of the disconnection / contact mechanism (40) so as to sandwich the disconnection / contact mechanism (40) between the electric motor (7). The electric vehicle according to claim 3.   The disconnection / connection mechanism rubs the drive plate (56) fixed to the motor shaft (38), the centrifugal weight (57) supported by the drive plate (56), and the centrifugal weight (57), A centrifugal clutch (40) including a clutch outer (58) that can be engaged, and one of the constituent elements (85, 86, 88) (85) constituting the planetary gear mechanism (79) that is the reduction mechanism. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electric motor vehicle is connected to the clutch outer (58) coaxially and relatively unrotatably.   The swing arm (6A, 6B) has a swing arm main portion (front end portion swingably supported on the body frame (F) and accommodates the electric motor (7) and the disconnection / connection mechanism (40)). 41) and a gear case (42, 82) removably attached to the swing arm main portion (41), and the speed reduction mechanism (39, 79) includes the gear case (42, 82) and the swing arm main body. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the electric vehicle is housed between the parts (41).   The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the disconnection / connection mechanism (40) is disposed in a wheel hub (36a) of the drive wheel (WR) in a side view.   At the rear part of the swing arm (6A, 6B), an overhanging part (65, 83) projecting outward from the front part of the swing arm (6A, 6B) is formed, and the speed reduction mechanism (39, 79) is formed. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the electric vehicle is housed in the projecting portion (65, 83).

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