Passive structural stopper bracket

An apparatus, comprising:

• a battery pack supported by at least one vehicle frame member and enclosed within a cover;
• a rocker positioned adjacent to an edge of the battery pack;
• a seat cross-member extending away from the rocker and above the battery pack, the seat cross-member spaced from the cover by a gap;
• and
• a stopper bracket mounted to at least one of the rocker and the seat cross-member and extending into the gap such that in response to an impact load, the stopper bracket prevents the seat cross-member from direct contact with the cover.

A method comprising:

• supporting a battery pack with at least one vehicle frame member;
• positioning a rocker adjacent to an edge of the battery pack;
• extending a seat cross-member away from the rocker and above the battery pack, the seat cross-member spaced from the battery pack by a gap;
• and
• mounting a stopper bracket to at least one of the rocker and seat cross-member to extend into the gap such that in response to an impact load, the stopper bracket plastically deforms and prevents the seat cross-member from direct contact with the battery pack.