In an electrical drive unit according to prior art, a signal receiver which is arranged on a printed circuit board in an electronic housing has to be brought close to a signal transmitter, thereby requiring considerable effort. The inventive drive unit (6) comprises a sealed electronic housing (3) and a motor housing (13), the signal receiver (37) being arranged on a brush holder (7) in the housing of the motor (13) or the gearbox (28), thereby facilitating the design and construction of the printed circuit board (49).