Structural assembly for an electric vehicle

A structural assembly for an electric vehicle;

• the structural assembly comprising:
• a first longitudinal rail and a second longitudinal rail opposite the first longitudinal rail, the first longitudinal rail defining a slot;
• a battery structure disposed between the first and second longitudinal rails and configured to house power storage units, the battery structure including a first tab extending laterally outwardly from a first side of the battery structure and a second tab extending laterally outwardly from a second side of the battery structure, the first tab received in the slot of the first longitudinal rail;
• and
• a retaining element engaging the second longitudinal rail and the second tab of the battery structure and configured to secure the second tab of the battery structure to the second longitudinal rail and the first tab of the battery structure to the first longitudinal rail,
• wherein the slot of the first longitudinal rail defines a lower inclined surface and the first tab includes an edge that corresponds to the lower inclined surface of the slot.

A method for assembling a battery structure to a vehicle frame, the method comprising:

• moving the battery structure into a space defined between a first longitudinal rail and a second opposing longitudinal rail of the vehicle frame;
• inserting a first tab extending laterally outwardly from a first side of the battery structure into a slot defined in the first longitudinal rail;
• moving a retaining element into engagement with the second longitudinal rail and a second side of the battery structure;
• and
• securing the retaining element to the second longitudinal rail.