Electric or hybrid electric vehicle having adjustable vertical electric drive motor and method of making and using

A method of making an electric vehicle, comprising:

• forming a vehicle chassis extending along a longitudinal axis and attaching a rotatable vehicle drive axle to the vehicle chassis disposed along a transverse axis and having opposed ends that are configured for attachment to a pair of opposed drive wheels;
• mounting a selectively movable electric propulsion motor within the vehicle chassis, the selectively movable electric propulsion motor comprising a rotatable motor shaft rotatable about a motor axis, the selectively movable electric propulsion motor operatively coupled to the rotatable vehicle drive axle and the opposed drive wheels, the motor axis configured to be oriented in a substantially vertical direction and movable with reference to the rotatable vehicle drive axle from a first position comprising a first direction (d1) of the motor axis to a second position comprising a second direction (d2) of the motor axis, the second position being separated from the first position by an angle (α), wherein the first direction (d1) and the second direction (d2) are disposed in a lateral plane or a longitudinal plane, and wherein the rotatable vehicle drive axle comprises a front axle or a rear axle;
• and selecting one of alternate configurations (a)-(f):
• (a) wherein the first direction (d1) and the second direction (d2) are disposed in the lateral plane, mounting a second selectively movable electric propulsion motor within the vehicle chassis laterally spaced apart from the selectively movable electric propulsion motor, the second selectively movable electric propulsion motor comprising a second rotatable motor shaft rotatable about a second motor axis, the second selectively movable electric propulsion motor operatively coupled to the rotatable vehicle drive axle and the opposed drive wheels, the second motor axis configured to be oriented in a substantially vertical direction and movable with reference to the rotatable vehicle drive axle from a first position comprising a first direction (d1) of the second motor axis to a second position comprising a second direction (d2) of the second motor axis, the second position being separated from the first position by an angle (α), wherein the first direction (d1) of the second motor axis and the second direction (d2) of the second motor axis are disposed in a lateral plane;
• or
• (b) wherein the first direction (d1) and the second direction (d2) are disposed in the longitudinal plane, mounting a second selectively movable electric propulsion motor within the vehicle chassis laterally spaced apart from the selectively movable electric propulsion motor, the second selectively movable electric propulsion motor comprising a second rotatable motor shaft rotatable about a second motor axis, the second selectively movable electric propulsion motor operatively coupled to the rotatable vehicle drive axle and the opposed drive wheels, the second motor axis configured to be oriented in a substantially vertical direction and movable with reference to the rotatable vehicle drive axle from a first position comprising a first direction (d1) of the second motor axis to a second position comprising a second direction (d2) of the second motor axis, the second position being separated from the first position by an angle (α), wherein the first direction (d1) of the second motor axis and the second direction (d2) of the second motor axis are disposed in a second longitudinal plane;
• or
• (c) disposing an internal combustion engine proximate to the rotatable vehicle drive axle, the internal combustion engine configured to provide motive power to the rotatable vehicle drive axle, wherein the rotatable vehicle drive axle comprises a front axle or a rear axle;
• or
• (d) disposing an internal combustion engine proximate to the rotatable vehicle drive axle, the internal combustion engine configured to provide motive power to an electric generator, wherein the rotatable vehicle drive axle comprises a front axle or a rear axle;
• or
• (e) disposing an internal combustion engine proximate to a second rotatable vehicle drive axle that is attached to the vehicle chassis and longitudinally spaced apart from the rotatable vehicle drive axle, the internal combustion engine configured to provide motive power to the second rotatable vehicle drive axle, wherein the rotatable vehicle drive axle comprises a front axle or a rear axle and the second rotatable vehicle drive axle comprises a rear axle or a front axle, respectively;
• or
• (f) disposing an internal combustion engine proximate to a rotatable vehicle driven axle that is attached to the vehicle chassis and longitudinally spaced apart from the rotatable vehicle drive axle, the internal combustion engine configured to provide motive power to an electric generator, wherein the rotatable vehicle drive axle comprises a front axle or a rear axle and the rotatable vehicle driven axle comprises a rear axle or a front axle, respectively.

A method of using an electric vehicle, comprising:

• forming an electric vehicle comprising a vehicle chassis extending along a longitudinal axis and a rotatable vehicle drive axle disposed along a transverse axis and having opposed ends that are configured for attachment to a pair of opposed drive wheels, and a plurality of selectively movable electric propulsion motors comprising respective rotatable motor shafts rotatable about respective motor axes, the selectively movable electric propulsion motors configured to be mounted within the vehicle chassis laterally spaced apart and operatively coupled to the rotatable vehicle drive axle and the opposed drive wheels, the respective motor axes configured to be oriented in respective substantially vertical directions, the selectively movable electric propulsion motors and the respective motor axes also configured to be selectively movable while the electric vehicle is stationary or in motion from respective first positions comprising a respective first directions (d1) of the motor axes to respective second positions comprising respective second directions (d2) of the motor axes, the respective second positions being separated from the respective first positions by respective angles (α);
• and
• operating the electric vehicle and moving the selectively movable electric propulsion motors from the respective first positions to the respective second positions while the electric vehicle is operating.