US 12,344,104 B2Granted

Electric vehicle systems and methods

AssigneeBattelle Memorial Institute

InventorJoshua Blankenship

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Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to electric vehicles. A modular electric vehicle includes an electric vehicle chassis that includes an energy storage device, chassis control circuitry, and one or more communication interfaces disposed on an upper surface of the chassis. The chassis further includes an electric motor, suspension and drivetrain to provide an operating vehicle. An electric vehicle includes an internal combustion engine that drives an electric drive motor for charging a vehicle battery The vehicle may be driven solely by electric power, i.e., the internal combustion engine may provide no drive power to the axles of the vehicle and is used primarily for charging the battery. In some embodiments, electric motors may be coupled to one or both of the vehicle axles and the battery may be coupled to one or both the drive motors under control of a controller.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A modular electric vehicle chassis comprising:

a frame to receive a vehicle body proximate at least a portion of an upper surface of the frame, the frame including:
a central chassis member,
a front subframe operably coupled to the central chassis member, the front subframe configured to support a front axle, and
a rear subframe operably coupled to the central chassis member opposite the front subframe, the rear subframe configured to support a rear axle;
wherein at least the front or rear subframe being slidably coupled to the central chassis member;
at least one communication interface to communicatively couple to the vehicle body;
at least one energy storage device;
at least one physical connector to couple the vehicle body to the frame;
at least one electric motor physically coupled to the frame, the at least one electric motor to drive at least one wheel coupled to at least one of the front axle or the rear axle;
a wireless electronic device configured to communicate with a chassis control circuitry to provide a wheelbase adjustment signal;
and
the chassis control circuitry to:
receive one or more input signals from the vehicle body disposed proximate the upper surface of the frame via the at least one communication interface;
determine a type of vehicle body based on the received one or more input signals;
and
control the front subframe and/or the rear subframe to adjust a wheelbase between the front axle and the rear axle and to adjust the overall size of the frame to receive a variety of vehicle body types, wherein the front subframe and/or the rear subframe is coupled to the central chassis member through a sliding mechanical coupling that is driven by a linear actuator in response to a drive signal to adjust the wheelbase.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/464,073Filed 1 Sep 2021 · us provisional application
Priority: 1 Sep 2020
Published: US 2022/0063424 A13 Mar 2022
Granted: 1 Jul 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification30 codes

B60L 50/61
Using power supplied by batteries: by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
B60K 1/00
Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units
B60K 1/04
Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units: of the electric storage means for propulsion
B60K 6/46
Characterised by the architecture of the hybrid electric vehicle: series type