Electric automobile

Abstract

According to the electric automobile, front and back weight distribution can be optimized, the yawing rotational inertia is reduced, and the control stability and the dynamic performance are improved. The electric vehicle includes: a battery unit (BY1) housed in a tunnel portion (11) of a floor (10); and a motor (M) that is provided in front of or behind the battery unit (BY1) in the vehicle and that drives the drive wheels. The battery cell (BY1) becomes heavier and heavier as it moves away from the motor (M).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle including a motor for driving a driving wheel and a battery for supplying electric power to the motor. Background Art

[0002] For electric vehicles equipped with motors for driving driving wheels, the amount of batteries used to supply power to the motors will greatly affect their cruising range. For example, in the electric vehicle of Patent Document 1, the batteries are mounted in the channel portion formed by the floor, and the batteries are also mounted under the rear seats, thereby increasing the amount of batteries carried. Since the channel portion of the floor is long in the front-to-back direction, the batteries carried in the channel portion are slender in the front-to-back and upward direction, and the vertical dimension of the front end of the battery is longer than the vertical dimension of the middle portion of the battery (the middle portion in the front-to-back direction). Since the rear seats are long in the left-to-right direction, the batteries carried under the rear seats are long in the left-to-right direction, thereby achieving a large capacity.

[0003] Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, a protrusion is formed on the passenger seat side of the floor, and a battery is disposed in the protrusion.

[0004] [Prior art literature] [Patent Literature] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-1950566; [Patent document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-155828. Summary of the invention

[0005] [Technical problem to be solved by the invention] However, it is well known that in order to improve the handling stability and dynamic performance of the car, it is preferred to make the front and rear weight distribution of the vehicle even and to make the heavy object as close to the front and rear center of the vehicle as possible, and in fact, the above practices will improve the handling stability and dynamic performance. Therefore, when designing a car, it is often important to make the front and rear weight distribution of the vehicle even and to make the heavy object close to the front and rear center of the vehicle.

[0006] Here, for electric vehicles, since the motor is heavy, it will have a great impact on the front and rear weight distribution of the vehicle. In addition, since the battery is also heavy, it will have a great impact on the front and rear weight distribution of the vehicle like the motor, so it is necessary to work hard on the mounting position.

[0007] However, in Patent Document 1, the motor for driving the drive wheels is mounted on the front side of the vehicle body, and the front end of the battery mounted in the tunnel portion of the floor is long in the vertical direction, resulting in the front end of the battery being relatively heavier. These two main reasons may cause the front and rear weight distribution of the vehicle to be biased forward.

[0008] In addition, in Patent Document 1, a large-capacity battery that is long in the left-right direction is mounted below the rear seat, and the battery below the rear seat is located far away from the center of the vehicle in the front-rear direction, so it is difficult to bring a heavy object close to the center of the vehicle in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the electric vehicle of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in handling stability and dynamic performance.

[0009] Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, the battery is mounted in a raised portion located on the passenger seat side, but the front-rear weight distribution of the vehicle is not taken into consideration, so the vehicle of Patent Document 2 also has room for improvement in handling stability and dynamic performance.

[0010] In view of the above points, the present invention aims to optimize the front and rear weight distribution of an electric vehicle and reduce the yaw moment of inertia, thereby improving the handling stability and dynamic performance.

[0011]

Technical means to solve technical problems

[0012] That is, the floor is disposed between the front and rear wheels, that is, in the middle of the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the tunnel portion of the floor is disposed in the center of the vehicle width direction, so that the heavy object can be arranged close to the center of the vehicle by accommodating the battery unit in the tunnel portion. As a result, the yaw moment of inertia is reduced. Furthermore, when another heavy object, i.e., a motor, is disposed in front of or behind the battery unit, since the battery unit becomes heavier as it moves away from the motor, the front-rear weight distribution of the vehicle is unlikely to be biased toward the front or rear.

[0013] The battery unit involved in the second aspect of the present invention can be designed so that, when viewed from the top of the vehicle, the width of the battery unit becomes wider as it moves away from the motor.

[0014] According to this solution, a battery unit that becomes heavier as it is farther away from the motor can be obtained with a simple solution.

[0015] The motor according to the third aspect of the present invention may be designed to overlap at least a portion of a backrest portion of the seat when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

[0016] The layout of this solution brings the motor close to the seat back, thus further reducing the yaw moment of inertia.

[0017] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, a drive shaft may be further provided to transmit the rotational force of the motor to the drive wheel. In this case, the motor may be arranged closer to the center of the vehicle front-rear direction than the drive shaft.

[0018] This solution allows the motor to be placed between the front and rear wheels, a layout that is beneficial to front-to-rear weight distribution.

[0019] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, a left seat and a right seat may be provided on the left and right sides of the tunnel portion of the floor, respectively. In this case, the width of a portion of the battery unit located between the left seat and the right seat is set to be narrower than the width of a portion of the battery unit located in front of the left seat and the right seat in the vehicle.

[0020] In this scheme, by setting the width of the portion of the battery unit located between the left seat and the right seat to be relatively narrow, the width of the left seat and the right seat can be fully ensured even without expanding the width of the vehicle, thereby improving the riding comfort of passengers sitting on the left seat and the right seat.

[0021] In a sixth aspect of the present invention, a dash panel may be further provided, which extends upward and in the vehicle width direction from the front end of the floor. In this case, the front end of the battery unit may be positioned further to the rear of the vehicle than the dash panel.

[0022] In this aspect, since the front end portion of the battery unit is located in the tunnel portion, the yaw moment of inertia can be further reduced.

[0023] The motor involved in the seventh aspect of the present invention can be designed to be arranged at the rear of the vehicle with respect to the battery unit. In addition, the height of the tunnel portion raised from the floor can be designed to be higher as it goes to the front of the vehicle, and in this case, the height of the battery unit can be higher as it goes to the front of the vehicle corresponding to the raised height of the tunnel portion.

[0024] In this solution, the motor is arranged at the rear of the vehicle, so the battery unit becomes heavier as it moves toward the front of the vehicle. In this case, by making the height of the ridge of the tunnel higher as it moves toward the front of the vehicle, and making the height of the battery unit correspond to the height of the ridge of the tunnel, a solution is achieved with a simple layout that makes the battery unit heavier as it moves away from the motor.

[0025] In the eighth aspect of the present invention, a seat may be provided on the side of the tunnel portion of the floor. In this case, the upper end of the tunnel portion may be positioned above the upper side of the seat cushion portion of the seat.

[0026] This solution fully ensures the height of the channel portion, thereby increasing the storage capacity of batteries in the channel portion.

[0027] [Effects of the invention] As described above, the battery is housed in the tunnel portion provided in the floor and is configured so that the battery becomes heavier as it is farther away from the motor. This optimizes the front and rear weight distribution of the electric vehicle and reduces the yaw moment of inertia, thereby improving handling stability and dynamic performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is a left side view of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a top view of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a top view of the cabin of the electric vehicle without the roof, doors, interior materials, etc.; Figure 4 It corresponds to Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of the IV-IV line; Figure 5 It corresponds to Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of the V-V line; Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing only the battery unit mounted on the vehicle body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention based on the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following description of the preferred embodiments is essentially for illustration only and is not intended to limit the present invention and its application or use.

[0030] Figure 1 and Figure 2 The appearance of an electric vehicle 1 having a vehicle body structure A according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In the description of this embodiment, the front side of the vehicle is simply referred to as "front", the rear side of the vehicle is simply referred to as "rear", the right side of the vehicle is simply referred to as "right", and the left side of the vehicle is simply referred to as "left". The left-right direction of the vehicle is the vehicle width direction. When the electric vehicle 1 is viewed from the left or right side, it is called a side view. In addition, when the electric vehicle 1 is viewed from above, it is called a top view or a bird's-eye view.

[0031] The electric vehicle 1 is a passenger vehicle, which may be any type of vehicle, such as a coupe type, a hatchback type, or a sedan type. The front side of the electric vehicle 1 is provided with an engine hood 2. A front luggage storage space R1 (only in the case of Figure 1 The front luggage storage space R1 can be opened by opening the engine hood 2, so that luggage can be taken in and out.

[0032] A rear cover 3 is provided at the rear side of the electric vehicle 1. A rear luggage storage space R2 (only in Figure 1 The rear luggage storage space R2 can be opened by opening the rear cover 3, so that luggage can be taken in and out. In addition, one or both of the front luggage storage space R1 and the rear luggage storage space R2 can be used as a space for arranging auxiliary equipment.

[0033] The left side and right side of the electric vehicle 1 are respectively provided with a left door 4 and a right door 5 that can be opened and closed. The roof 6 can be a fixed roof, a detachable roof, or a foldable roof. When the roof is a detachable roof or a foldable roof, it is a convertible car, and there is no roof above the passengers.

[0034] The vehicle body structure A of the electric vehicle 1 includes front wheels 7 and rear wheels 8 on the left and right sides, and includes a driving motor M (at Figure 4 and Figure 5 The inverter circuit, sensor, driving operation equipment, etc. required to control the motor M can use conventionally known equipment.

[0035] In this embodiment, the rear wheel 8 is a driving wheel, but the front wheel 7 may be used as a driving wheel, or both the front wheel 7 and the rear wheel 8 may be used as driving wheels. Which wheel is used as a driving wheel can be selected according to the configuration of the motor M. When the motor M is mounted only on the rear side, only the rear wheel 8 can be used as a driving wheel, when the motor M is mounted only on the front side, only the front wheel 7 can be used as a driving wheel, and when the motor M is mounted on the front and rear sides, both the front wheel 7 and the rear wheel 8 can be used as driving wheels. The following describes the case where the motor M is mounted only on the rear side.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, a cabin R3 is provided between the front wheel 7 and the rear wheel 8, and the cabin R3 is a seating space for passengers. Figure 4As shown, the vehicle body structure A of the electric vehicle 1 includes: a floor 10 forming the floor of the cabin R3; a dash panel 20 forming the front wall of the cabin R3. In addition, the vehicle body structure A includes: an inclined panel 16 extending upward from the rear end of the floor 10 and inclining more and more rearward toward the upper side; and a rear panel 17 extending rearward from the upper end of the inclined panel 16.

[0037] A tunnel portion 11 that bulges upward and extends in the front-rear direction is formed in the center portion of the floor 10 in the vehicle width direction. The tunnel portion 11, the floor 10, and the front panel 20 are covered with interior materials (not shown) on the vehicle interior side. Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle body structure A also includes a right side member 12 extending in the front-rear direction along the right edge of the floor panel 10 , and a left side member 13 extending in the front-rear direction along the left edge of the floor panel 10 .

[0038] The front end of the tunnel portion 11 is located at the front end of the floor panel 10, and the rear end of the tunnel portion 11 is located at the rear end of the floor panel 10. Therefore, the tunnel portion 11 has a shape extending continuously from the front end to the rear end of the floor panel 10.

[0039] The electric vehicle 1 is a right-hand-drive vehicle (RHD (Right-hand-drive) vehicles). Therefore, the vehicle body structure A is provided with a passenger seat 30 as a left seat (seat) and a driver's seat 40 as a right seat (seat) on the left and right sides of the tunnel portion 11 of the floor 10. Specifically, a passenger seat 30 is provided on the left side of the tunnel portion 11 of the floor 10, and the passenger seat 30 is arranged between the tunnel portion 11 and the left side beam 13. A driver's seat 40 is provided on the right side of the tunnel portion 11 of the floor 10, and the driver's seat 40 is arranged between the tunnel portion 11 and the right side beam 12. Therefore, the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 are arranged in a row in the vehicle width direction with the tunnel portion 11 sandwiched therebetween. In addition, the electric vehicle 1 can be a left-hand-drive vehicle (LHD (Left-hand-drive) vehicles), in which case the driver's seat 40 can be provided on the left side and the passenger seat 30 can be provided on the right side. In addition, a rear seat can also be provided.

[0040] The driver's seat 40 includes: a cushion portion 41, which mainly supports the buttocks and thighs of the passenger; and a backrest portion 42, which extends upward from the rear end of the cushion portion 41 and mainly supports the waist, back, and shoulders of the passenger. The cushion portion 41 forms a seat surface. The passenger seat 30 also includes a cushion portion 31 and a backrest portion 32. Figure 3 In the figure, the hip point of the passenger sitting on the driver's seat 40 is indicated by the reference number HP1, and the hip point of the passenger sitting on the passenger seat 30 is indicated by the reference number HP2. It is assumed here that the seated passengers are passengers of standard physique and weight, but even if the physique and weight change slightly, the positions of the hip points HP1 and HP2 will not change significantly. Figure 4 In FIG. 1 , the hip point of the passenger sitting on the front passenger seat 30 is indicated by reference numeral HP2.

[0041] In addition, if the driver's seat 40 is mounted on the floor 10 in a manner that allows sliding in the front-rear direction, the hip point HP1 will move in the front-rear direction according to the sliding position, but the hip point HP1 when the driver's seat 40 is in a position that allows a passenger of a standard physique to maintain a standard driving posture can be used as a reference. The same applies to the hip point HP2 on the passenger seat 30 side. The passenger seat 30 can be designed to be mounted on the floor 10 in a manner that prevents sliding in the front-rear direction.

[0042] The upper end of the tunnel portion 11 is located above the upper side surfaces of the cushion portions 31 and 41. By setting the tunnel portion 11 to have such a height, when the central battery unit BY1 described later is housed in the tunnel portion 11, a wide housing space can be ensured in the height direction.

[0043] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the height of the tunnel portion 11 raised from the floor 10 (the height raised from the portion where the front passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 are installed) becomes higher and higher as it goes to the front side. Therefore, the upper end of the tunnel portion 11 is gradually tilted downward as it goes to the rear side. The side of the rear part of the tunnel portion 11 has the front passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40, and the rear part of the tunnel portion 11 is the portion overlapping with the front passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 in a side view. The height of the portion of the tunnel portion 11 that overlaps with the front passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 in a side view is low, so, for example, a passenger (driver) sitting in the driver's seat 40 can move over the tunnel portion 11 to sit on the side of the front passenger seat 30, and a passenger sitting in the front passenger seat 30 can move over the tunnel portion 11 to sit on the side of the driver's seat 40.

[0044] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown, the width of the tunnel portion 11 (dimension in the vehicle width direction) becomes wider as it goes to the front side. Specifically, the distance between the left side wall and the right side wall of the tunnel portion 11 becomes narrower as it goes to the rear side, and the width of the rear side portion of the tunnel portion 11 is narrower than the width of the front side portion. The width of the portion of the tunnel portion 11 that overlaps with the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 in the side view is narrow, so the increase in the vehicle width can be suppressed while ensuring that the width of the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 is wide enough.

[0045] In addition, the front part of the tunnel portion 11 is a part that does not overlap with the front passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 in a side view, so even if the width of the front part is wide, there is no problem in ensuring the width of the front passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40. In addition, there are only the feet of the driver and the front passenger seat 30 passengers on the side of the front part of the tunnel portion 11, so even if the width of the front part of the tunnel portion 11 is wide, it will hardly affect the riding comfort of the front passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40.

[0046] The dash panel 20 extends upward and in the vehicle width direction from the front end of the floor 10, and is a member that separates the cabin R3 from a space further in front of the cabin R3. A raised portion 20a that rises toward the cabin R3 is provided at the center of the dash panel 20 in the vehicle width direction. Figure 5 As shown, the lower end of the raised portion 20 a is connected to the front end of the channel portion 11 .

[0047] like Figure 3 to Figure 6 As shown, the vehicle body structure A includes a central battery unit BY1, a passenger seat side battery unit BY2, a rear right battery unit BY3, and a rear left battery unit BY4. In this embodiment, several battery units BY1 to BY4 are arranged in various parts of the vehicle body, thereby effectively utilizing several spaces formed by various parts of the vehicle body and increasing the amount of batteries carried.

[0048] The central battery unit BY1 is stored in the tunnel 11. In the tunnel 11, a central battery placement portion (first battery placement portion) 11A is provided long in the front-rear direction. The central battery placement portion (first battery placement portion) 11A can be placed in the central battery placement portion BY1, and the central battery unit BY1 placed in the central battery placement portion 11A is fixed to the floor 10 or the like in a detachable (replaceable) manner. In the state of being fixed to the floor 10 or the like, the front end of the central battery unit BY1 is located behind the dash panel 20. As a result, there is no battery as a heavy object at the front side of the vehicle.

[0049] The central battery unit BY1 includes a plurality of batteries (central batteries) B1 arranged in a row in the front-rear direction, and these batteries B1 are used to supply power to the motor M. The motor M receives power from the central battery unit BY1 to drive the rear wheel 8. Although not shown, the central battery unit BY1 may include a battery box for storing the central battery B1, a sensor for detecting the temperature of the central battery B1, a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the central battery B1, and the like.

[0050] The central battery B1 is composed of a secondary battery (battery cell) that can be charged and discharged. The central battery B1 may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery, an all-solid-state battery, or other secondary batteries. In addition, the central battery B1 may be a so-called battery cell, or a battery pack that accommodates a plurality of battery cells. In the figure, the central battery B1 is represented by a rectangular parallelepiped in a shape similar to the shape of the central battery B1, but the shape of the central battery B1 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped. In addition, all the central batteries B1 are the same.

[0051] Since the motor M is used to drive the rear wheels 8, it is disposed at the rear side of the vehicle body, specifically, at the rear of the central battery unit BY1. The central battery unit BY1 becomes heavier as it moves away from the motor M, that is, as it moves forward. Figure 3 As shown, the central battery unit BY1 is constructed such that, in a top view of the vehicle, the width (dimension in the left-right direction) of the central battery unit BY1 becomes wider as it moves away from the motor M. Specifically, five central batteries B1 constituting the central battery unit BY1 are arranged in the front-to-back direction with their longer directions as the front-to-back direction. Three central batteries B1 located at the front are arranged in the vehicle width direction. Two central batteries B1 located second from the front are arranged in the vehicle width direction. The third, fourth, and last central batteries B1 located from the front are arranged in a row in the front-to-back direction, and therefore are not arranged in the vehicle width direction. That is, the central battery unit BY1 is made heavier as it moves toward the front of the vehicle by increasing its volume.

[0052] In addition, the central battery unit BY1 is configured such that the vertical dimension of the central battery unit BY1 becomes longer as it moves away from the motor M. Figure 5 As shown, there are four central batteries B1 located at the front and the second central battery B1 from the front arranged in the vertical direction. There are three central batteries B1 located at the third and fourth central batteries B1 from the front arranged in the vertical direction. There are two central batteries B1 located at the rear in the vertical direction. The number of central batteries B1 arranged in the vertical direction can be called the number of levels or the number of layers.

[0053] That is, the central battery B1 is arranged such that the width of the central battery cell BY1 becomes wider as it is farther from the motor M, and the dimension of the central battery cell BY1 in the vertical direction becomes longer as it is farther from the motor M. Therefore, the front end of the central battery cell BY1 is the heaviest, and the rear end of the central battery cell BY1 is the lightest. The weight of the middle part of the central battery cell BY1 in the front-to-back direction is between the front end and the rear end.

[0054] In the central battery unit BY1, the third, fourth, and last central battery B1 from the front have the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 on their sides. In the central battery unit BY1, the frontmost and second central battery B1 from the front are arranged in front of the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40. That is, in the portion between the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 in the central battery unit BY1, since the central batteries B1 are not arranged in the vehicle width direction, the width is set narrower than the portion in front of the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 in the central battery unit BY1. The width of the central battery unit BY1 becomes narrower toward the rear side corresponding to the width of the tunnel portion 11.

[0055] In addition, the central battery B1 located at the front and the second from the front in the central battery unit BY1 has the largest number of levels, followed by the third from the front and the fourth from the front with fewer levels, and the last central battery B1 has the least level. Therefore, the height of the central battery unit BY1 corresponds to the height of the bulge of the channel portion 11 and becomes higher and higher as it goes to the front side.

[0056] The number of central batteries B1 constituting the central battery unit BY1, the number of arrangement in the front-to-back direction, and the number of stages are not limited to the above contents, and can be set arbitrarily. In other words, the number of arrangement and the number of stages of the central batteries B1 can be set so that the central battery unit BY1 becomes heavier as it moves away from the motor M. For example, the number of arrangement in the front-to-back direction can be any number greater than 2, and the number of stages can be any number greater than 1. That is, the number of stages and the number of batteries in the vehicle width direction are the largest at the front end of the central battery unit closest to the dash panel.

[0057] The passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is arranged at a position further forward than the seat cushion portion 31 of the passenger seat 30 on the floor 10. As a portion for arranging the passenger seat side battery unit BY2, a passenger seat side battery arrangement portion (third battery arrangement portion) 11B in which the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 can be arranged is provided in front of the passenger seat 30. Specifically, the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is arranged at the rear side portion of the passenger seat side of the floor 10, and the front side portion of the passenger seat side of the floor 10 serves as a foot placement portion 10a on which the feet of the passenger sitting on the passenger seat 30 can be placed. Passengers of average body shape are unlikely to place their feet in front of the seat cushion portion 31 of the passenger seat 30, and often slightly extend their feet and place them away from the seat cushion portion 31 to the front. In this embodiment, there is no passenger seat side battery unit BY2 away from the seat cushion portion 31, but a foot rest portion 10a is provided, so that the battery B2 can be installed on the passenger seat 30 side while improving the comfort of the passenger sitting on the passenger seat 30.

[0058] In terms of the positional relationship between the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 and the hip point HP1 of the occupant sitting on the driver's seat 40 , the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is arranged forward of the hip point HP1 of the occupant sitting on the driver's seat 40 . Figure 3 The center of gravity of the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is indicated by point P1, and the center of the vehicle (center in the front-rear direction and the width direction) is indicated by point P2. In a top view, the hip point HP1 of the passenger sitting in the driver's seat 40, the center of the vehicle (point P2), and the center of gravity of the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 (point P1) are arranged on the same straight line (imaginary line L). The imaginary line L is inclined to the rear as it moves toward the driver's seat 40 side in a top view.

[0059] The passenger seat side battery unit BY2 includes a plurality of passenger seat side batteries B2 similar to the central battery B1 constituting the central battery unit BY1. The passenger seat side battery B2 is also used to supply power to the motor M. The passenger seat side battery unit BY2 may include a battery box, a sensor for detecting the temperature of the passenger seat side battery B2, a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the passenger seat side battery B2, and the like.

[0060] The upper end of the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is located below the upper side surface of the front end portion of the seat cushion portion 31 of the passenger seat 30. In addition, the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is lower toward the front. That is, there are three passenger seat side batteries B2 arranged in the front-to-back direction with their longer direction as the vehicle width direction, the passenger seat side battery B2 located in the front is one level, and the second-to-last and the passenger seat side battery B2 are two levels. In the two-level overlapping passenger seat side batteries B2, the height of the upper end of the passenger seat side battery B2 of the upper level is lower than the upper side surface of the front end portion of the seat cushion portion 31 of the passenger seat 30. As a result, it is difficult for the inner side of the thigh of the passenger sitting on the passenger seat 30 to contact the passenger seat side battery unit BY2, thereby improving the riding comfort of the passenger sitting on the passenger seat 30. In addition, the passenger seat side battery B2 is surrounded by the battery casing 50 (only in Figure 4 The battery case 50 may be formed of a soft member such as cloth or synthetic leather, or may be formed of a hard resin material. The battery case 50 may be a member constituting a part of the passenger seat side battery unit BY2.

[0061] Among the passenger seat side batteries B2, the passenger seat side battery B2 located at the front is the front battery, and the passenger seat side battery B2 located at the rear is the rear battery. The passenger seat side battery B2 located at the rear is overlapped in two stages, and the passenger seat side battery B2 located at the front is one stage, so if the height of the upper end is compared, the passenger seat side battery B2 located at the rear is higher than the passenger seat side battery B2 located at the front.

[0062] In addition, in the present embodiment, the hip point HP2 of the passenger sitting on the passenger seat 30 is set lower than the upper side of the rear side of the passenger seat side battery B2. That is, the shape of the legs of the passenger sitting on the passenger seat 30 is a shape that is higher from the hip point HP2 to the knee. Corresponding to the above-mentioned leg shape, the upper side of the rear side of the passenger seat side battery B1 is made higher than the hip point HP2, thereby increasing the amount of the passenger seat side battery B1 to be loaded.

[0063] The number of passenger seat side batteries B2 constituting the passenger seat side battery unit BY2, the number of arrangements in the front-to-back direction, and the number of stages are not limited to the above contents, and can be set arbitrarily. In other words, the number of arrangements and the number of stages of the passenger seat side batteries B2 can be set so that the passenger seat side battery units BY2 are lower as they move toward the front side. For example, the number of arrangements in the front-to-back direction can be any number greater than 2, and the number of stages can also be any number greater than 1. The longer direction of the passenger seat side battery B2 can be in the vehicle width direction or in the front-to-back direction.

[0064] The passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is mounted on the vehicle body, that is, on the floor 10 in a detachable manner. Figure 4 As shown, a mounting and dismounting mechanism 14 for mounting and dismounting the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is provided on the passenger seat 30 side of the floor 10. The mounting and dismounting mechanism 14 comprises: a main body 14a fixed to the passenger seat 30 side of the floor 10; and a locking portion 14b provided on the main body 14a, which is locked with the passenger seat side battery unit BY2. The locking portion 14b moves between a locking position locked with the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 and a non-locking position detached from the passenger seat side battery unit BY2. When the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is mounted, the locking portion 14b is switched to the locking position, so that the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is fixed to the floor 10 and does not move even if vibration occurs during driving. When the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is to be removed, the locking portion 14b is switched from the locking position to the non-locking position.

[0065] The installation and removal mechanism 14 of the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 can be set as needed. In addition, the structure of the installation and removal mechanism 14 is not limited to the above structure, and can be a structure in which the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is installed on the floor 10 or a bracket (not shown) by tightening with screws or tightening with a belt, etc., or a meshing structure using a meshing claw, etc.

[0066] For example, when the weight reduction is preferred over the cruising range of the electric vehicle 1, the electric vehicle 1 can be driven with the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 removed. In addition, the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 can be removed in order to expand the passenger space of the passenger seat 30. In addition, the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 can be removed in order to give priority to the front, back, left, and right weight balance over the cruising range of the electric vehicle 1. In this case, the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 can be used to adjust the weight balance of the electric vehicle 1, so the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 can be used as part of the weight balance adjustment means. In addition, only a part of the several passenger seat side batteries B2 constituting the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 can be installed and removed. It can also be designed as follows: the several passenger seat side batteries B2 constituting the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 are divided into arrays so that each group can be installed and removed separately.

[0067] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the motor M is mounted on a subframe 80 provided at the lower rear portion of the vehicle body, and is disposed in the middle portion in the vehicle width direction below the inclined panel 16 and the rear panel 17. The motor M is configured such that its output shaft M1 points in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the output shaft M1 of the motor M protrudes rearward. The front side portion of the motor M is disposed in the tunnel portion 11. This allows the motor M to be mounted as far forward as possible, so that the motor M can be mounted as far forward as possible. Figure 4 In the side view shown, it overlaps at least a portion of the backrest portion 32 of the passenger seat 30. It can be arranged so that, in the side view, for example, the lower portion of the backrest portion 32 overlaps the front portion of the motor M. Thus, the motor M can be brought closer to the center of the vehicle.

[0068] The vehicle body structure A includes a left drive shaft 60 and a right drive shaft 61 which are arranged at the rear of the tunnel portion 11 of the floor 10 and transmit the rotational force of the motor M to the rear wheel 8 as the driving wheel. The left drive shaft 60 and the right drive shaft 61 extend in the vehicle width direction. The motor M is arranged between the left drive shaft 60 and the right drive shaft 61 and the tunnel portion 11. Therefore, the motor M is closer to the center of the vehicle in the front-rear direction than the drive shafts 60 and 61. In addition, although not shown in the figure, when the motor is arranged at the front side and is used to drive the front wheel 7, the left drive shaft and the right drive shaft can be arranged in front of the tunnel portion 11.

[0069] In addition, the vehicle body structure A is provided with a transmission 62 and a differential gearbox 63. The transmission 62 and the differential gearbox 63 are mounted on the subframe 80. The transmission 62 and the differential gearbox 63 are arranged behind the motor M and on the driver's seat 40 side of the vehicle body. The rotational force of the output shaft M1 of the motor M is input to the transmission 62 via the gear 64. The rotational force of the output shaft M1 extending in the front-rear direction is converted into a rotational force around an axis extending in the vehicle width direction via the gear 64, and is input to the transmission 62. The transmission 62 is a transmission or a speed reducer. When the transmission 62 is a transmission, it can be a stepped transmission or a continuously variable transmission. The transmission 62 and the differential gearbox 63 can be combined, or one gearbox can be used to accommodate the gears constituting the transmission and the gears constituting the differential mechanism. In addition, the motor M and the transmission 62 can be modularized. In addition, although not shown in the figure, when the motor M is provided on the front side of the vehicle body and is used to drive the front wheels 7, the transmission 62 and the differential gearbox 63 can be provided in front of the tunnel portion 11.

[0070] The rotational force of the motor M output from the transmission 62 is transmitted to the left and right rear wheels 8 via a differential mechanism (not shown) built into the differential gear case 63 and the drive shafts 60 and 61 .

[0071] like Figure 3 As shown, the rear right battery unit BY3 is arranged behind the driver's seat 40. There is an inclined panel 16 behind the driver's seat 40, and a rear right battery arrangement portion (first battery arrangement portion) 11C for arranging the rear right battery unit BY3 is provided behind the inclined panel 16 (outside the cabin R3). The rear right battery unit BY3 is provided with a plurality of rear right batteries B3 similar to the central battery B1 constituting the central battery unit BY1. The rear right battery B3 is also used to supply power to the motor M. The rear right battery unit BY3 may be provided with a battery box, a sensor for detecting the temperature of the rear right battery B3, a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the rear right battery B3, and the like.

[0072] In addition, the rear left battery unit BY4 is provided behind the passenger seat 30. There is an inclined panel 16 behind the passenger seat 30, and a rear left battery arrangement portion (first battery arrangement portion) 11D is provided behind the inclined panel 16 (outside the cabin R3) where the rear left battery unit BY4 can be arranged. The rear left battery unit BY4 includes a plurality of rear left batteries (rear batteries) B4, which are the same as the central battery B1 constituting the central battery unit BY1. The rear left battery B4 is also used to supply power to the motor M. The rear left battery unit BY4 may include a battery box, a sensor for detecting the temperature of the rear left battery B4, a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the rear left battery B4, and the like.

[0073] When the transmission 62 is used as a reference, the rear right battery configuration part 11C and the rear left battery configuration part 11D are provided in front of the transmission 62. In addition, the rear right battery configuration part 11C and the rear left battery configuration part 11D are provided on both sides of the motor M in the vehicle width direction. That is, the motor M is configured between the rear right battery B3 and the rear left battery B4, and it is configured so that the rear right battery B3 and the rear left battery B4 overlap with the motor M in at least a part when viewed from the side. The rear right battery B3 and the rear left battery B4 are provided on both sides of the motor M in the vehicle width direction, respectively, and therefore can also be called lateral batteries.

[0074] The number of rear right batteries B3 constituting the rear right battery unit BY3, the number of arrangements in the front-to-rear direction, and the number of stages can be set arbitrarily. In addition, the number of rear left batteries B4 constituting the rear left battery unit BY4, the number of arrangements in the front-to-rear direction, and the number of stages can also be set arbitrarily. The longer direction of the rear right battery B3 and the rear left battery B4 can be in the vehicle width direction or in the front-to-rear direction. In addition, the rear right battery unit BY3 and the rear left battery unit BY4 can be installed and removed.

[0075] (Effects of implementation methods) As described above, in the vehicle body structure A of the electric vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment, the floor 10 is provided between the front wheel 7 and the rear wheel 8, that is, provided in the middle portion of the vehicle in the front-rear direction, and the tunnel portion 11 of the floor 10 is provided in the center portion in the vehicle width direction, so that the heavy object can be arranged close to the center of the vehicle by storing the central battery unit BY1 in the tunnel portion 11. As a result, the yaw moment of inertia is reduced. In addition, the central battery unit BY1 becomes heavier as it moves away from the motor M, so that the front-rear weight distribution of the vehicle is less likely to be biased to the front or rear.

[0076] Furthermore, the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is arranged in the vehicle front of the seat cushion portion 31 of the passenger seat 30, thereby ensuring space for the passenger sitting in the passenger seat 30. Since the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is used to supply power to the motor M, it is a heavy object, but the passenger seat side battery B2 is arranged in the vehicle front of the hip point HP1 of the passenger sitting in the driver's seat 40, so when there is no passenger sitting in the passenger seat 30, the center of gravity of the vehicle is close to the center of the vehicle, resulting in a reduction in the yaw moment of inertia.

[0077] In addition, when looking at the front-to-back direction of the vehicle, the following are arranged in order: the channel portion 11 of the floor 10, the motor M, and the drive shafts 60 and 61. Therefore, the motor M, which is a heavy object, is closer to the center of the front-to-back direction of the vehicle than the drive shafts 60 and 61. In addition, the rear right battery unit BY3 and the rear left battery unit BY4 overlap with the motor M at least in part from a side view, and are thus closer to the center of the front-to-back direction of the vehicle than the drive shafts 60 and 61. Therefore, this layout, including the motor M, the rear right battery unit BY3, and the rear left battery unit BY4, is advantageous for the yaw moment of inertia. In addition, by arranging the rear right battery unit BY3 and the rear left battery unit BY4 in the space in front of the drive shafts 60 and 61, the battery loading capacity can be fully ensured.

[0078] The above embodiment mainly illustrates the case where the motor M is arranged behind the central battery unit BY1, and the motor M receives power supply from the battery unit to drive the rear drive wheel. Not limited to this, the motor M can also be arranged in front of the central battery unit BY1, and the motor M receives power supply from the battery unit to drive the front drive wheel. Moreover, the central battery unit becomes heavier as it moves away from the motor M.

[0079] The above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples in all aspects and should not be interpreted as limiting. Moreover, any deformation or modification within the scope equivalent to the scope of the claims is within the scope of the present invention. For example, only one of the rear right battery unit BY3 and the rear left battery unit BY4 may be provided. In addition, the motor M may be provided at a position slightly to the left of the vehicle body or slightly to the right. In addition, the output shaft M1 of the motor M may point in the vehicle width direction.

[0080] [Practicality] As described above, the present invention can be used in an electric vehicle equipped with a driving motor and a battery.

[0081]

Number Description

Claims

1. An electric vehicle, characterized in that include: A tunnel portion is provided at a center portion of the floor in the vehicle width direction, bulges upward and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction; a battery unit housed in the tunnel portion, the battery unit including a plurality of batteries arranged in a row in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; A motor, disposed in front of or behind the vehicle of the battery unit, which receives power from the battery to drive the drive wheels; The battery unit becomes heavier as it moves away from the motor.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a top-view perspective of the vehicle, the width of the battery unit becomes wider as it moves away from the motor.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motor overlaps at least a portion of a backrest portion of a seat provided on the floor in a side view of the vehicle.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: A drive shaft, transmitting the rotational force of the motor to the drive wheel; The motor is arranged closer to a center portion in a front-rear direction of the vehicle than the drive shaft.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: A left seat and a right seat are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the passage portion of the floor. The width of a portion of the battery unit located between the left seat and the right seat is set to be narrower than the width of a portion of the battery unit located in the vehicle front of the left seat and the right seat.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: a dash panel extending upward and in a vehicle width direction from a front end portion of the floor; The front end portion of the battery unit is located further rearward of the vehicle than the dash panel.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motor is disposed at the rear of the vehicle of the battery unit; The height of the tunnel portion protruding from the floor becomes higher and higher toward the front side of the vehicle; The height of the battery unit increases toward the front side of the vehicle in correspondence with the raised height of the tunnel portion.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that: A seat is arranged on the side of the passage portion of the floor; An upper end portion of the tunnel portion is located above an upper side surface of a seat cushion portion of the seat.

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