Electric vehicle

A electric vehicle comprises a drive wheel which is driven by a traction electric motor, a brake command device, a brake releasing unit, a brake shaft, a friction plate, and a braking spring. The brake shaft is rotatable in a brake realizing direction which is one direction by an operation of the brake command device, and is rotatable in a brake releasing direction which is the other direction by driving of the brake releasing unit. The friction plate is operatively connected to the traction electric motor, and is frictionally braked when the brake shaft is rotated in the brake realizing direction. The braking spring applies an elastic force to the brake shaft in a direction to rotate the brake shaft in the brake realizing direction. The brake releasing unit comprises a brake releasing motor, a displacement member which is displaced by driving of the brake releasing motor, and a displacement permitting spring which permits elastic relative displacement between the displacement member and the brake shaft, and applies an elastic force to the brake shaft in a direction to maintain a relative position between the brake shaft and the displacement permitting spring.