Low-slung electric vehicle

A low-slung electric vehicle having a battery unit removably mounted in a battery compartment of a vehicle body, comprising:

• said battery compartment being disposed under a seat rearwardly of a footrest floor and open on a front side;
• said battery unit being movable in a fore-aft direction of the vehicle body to be inserted from the footrest floor into the battery compartment or to be removed from the battery compartment;
• an electrode connector;
• a feeder connector disposed relative to the vehicle body and connected to the electrode connector when the battery unit is mounted to the vehicle;
• a rolling roller mounted to the battery unit for rolling on a track extending in the battery compartment in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle body;
• a stopper disposed on the track for the rolling roller for restraining the rolling roller at a predetermined position when the battery unit is moved to a terminal position in the battery compartment;
• recessed/projecting fitting portions disposed between a bottom surface in the battery compartment and close to the footrest floor and a lower side of the battery unit corresponding to the bottom surface for fitting to each other when the rolling roller is restrained by the stopper;
• wherein the feeder connector is disposed in the battery compartment at its bottom in the battery-unit insertion direction, while the electrode connector is disposed at an end face of the battery unit on a side that is first inserted into the battery compartment;
• and
• the electrode connector is connected to the feeder connector when the battery unit is moved to the terminal position in the battery compartment.

An electric vehicle comprising:

• a battery compartment;
• a battery unit removably mounted in the battery compartment of a vehicle body;
• said battery compartment being disposed under a seat rearwardly of a footrest floor and opened on a front side;
• said battery unit being movable in a fore-aft direction of the vehicle body to be inserted from the footrest floor into the battery compartment or to be removed from the battery compartment;
• a rolling roller mounted on the battery unit for rolling on a track extending in the battery compartment in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle body;
• a stopper disposed on the track for the rolling roller for restraining the rolling roller at a predetermined position when the battery unit is moved to a terminal position in the battery compartment;
• recessed/projecting fitting portions disposed between a bottom surface in the battery compartment and close to the footrest floor and a lower side of the battery unit corresponding to the bottom surface for fitting with each other when the rolling roller is restrained by the stopper;
• an access gate disposed on an opening side of the battery compartment and openably/closably mounted to a frame member of the vehicle body;
• and
• gate restraining means for restraining an operation of opening the access gate after the battery unit is accommodated in the battery compartment.