A drive unit for an electric vehicle has an output shaft; a planetary gear train and a main gearwheel both coaxial with the output shaft, the main gearwheel being selectively engageable with two input members of the planetary gear train; a first motor assembly having an electric motor, a motor shaft and a motor gearwheel non-selectively rotationally connected with said motor shaft and meshing with the main gearwheel. A second motor assembly has an electric motor, a motor shaft, an intermediate shaft coaxial with said motor shaft, a motor gearwheel fixed to said intermediate shaft and meshing with the main gearwheel and a clutch to selectively rotationally connect or disconnect said motor shaft and said intermediate shaft. The second electric motor is shorter than the first electric motor and both are parallel to the output shaft.