Abstract: A road wheel propulsion apparatus for alternately propelling and retarding the rotation of a road wheel supporting an automotive vehicle. An electric drive motor is carried by a vehicle and is drivingly connected to a road wheel to provide motive force to the vehicle by driving the road wheel in rotation relative to the vehicle. The electric drive motor includes a radially inner motor stator to be fixed to a vehicle. The electric drive motor also includes a radially outer annular motor rotor to be carried within a road wheel and to be driven in rotation relative to the motor stator by electromagnetic forces developed by between the motor stator and the motor rotor.