A vehicular drive unit for a battery electric vehicle (BEV) includes an electric motor, for propelling the BEV, having an output shaft; a planetary gearbox, having an input and an output; a sprocket coupled to an output of the electric motor or an input of the planetary gearbox; and an endless loop rotatably coupled with the sprocket and the input of the planetary gearbox thereby configured to transmit rotational movement of the output shaft of the electric motor to a drive shaft of the BEV, wherein an axis of rotation of the drive shaft of the BEV is offset from an axis of rotation of the output shaft of the electric motor.