Modular battery pack system with series and parallel charging and propulsion modes

A motor vehicle comprising:

• front and rear drive axles;
• front and rear drive wheels connected to the front and rear drive wheels, respectively;
• front and rear traction power inverter modules (TPIMs);
• front and rear electric machines connected to and driven by the front and rear TPIMs, respectively;
• and
• a modular battery pack system comprising:
• a battery pack connected to the front and rear TPIMs, and having:
• a plurality of electrical cables;
• first and second battery modules, electrically interconnected to each other via the plurality of electrical cables, each of the first and second battery modules having a respective battery cell string, first, second, and third electrical connectors, and first, second, third, and fourth switches that selectively connect the respective battery cell strings to one or more of the first, second, and third electrical connectors, the front and rear TPIMs being directly connected to the second electrical connector of the first and second battery modules, respectively;
• and
• a direct current (DC) charging connector electrically connected to one of the electrical cables between the first electrical connectors of the first and second battery modules, the DC charging connector being configured to electrically connect the battery pack to an off-board DC fast-charging station;
• and
• a controller in communication with the first, second, third, and fourth switches of the first and second battery modules, the controller being programmed to execute a series charge mode, a parallel charge mode, and one or more of a series drive mode and a parallel charge mode of the battery pack, wherein the controller is configured to receive input signals indicative of a requested operating mode of the battery pack, and, in response to the input signals, to select an open/closed state of each of the first, second, third, and fourth switches of the first and second battery modules, via a set of switching control signals, to thereby establish the series charge mode, the parallel charge mode, and the one or more of the series drive mode and parallel drive mode of the battery pack.