Parking lot for next-generation electric vehicle

Abstract

To provide a parking lot which solves a problem in which using an electric vehicle to be developed in the future as "a movable living space" where sleeping and eating in the vehicle are possible, rather than as "a tool that carries people or objects" is expected by utilizing a large living space in the electric vehicle, but there are many safety issues for parking this kind of electric vehicle in an existing parking lot, and the electric vehicle cannot be parked safely.SOLUTION: There is provided a parking lot for a next-generation electric vehicle where the next-generation electric vehicle (referred to as EV vehicle) that is equipped with a storage battery, a water tank, a sewage tank, and an air compressor in a vehicle body and enables daily life including eating and drinking, toilet, shower, and sleeping is parked, the parking lot having a dedicated site of parking space per EV vehicle, with the distance between adjacent EV vehicles being at least two meters, being equipped with facility to supply electricity and drinking water to each EV vehicle to park individually or in common, and facility to receive sewage generated in the EV vehicle, and being capable of supplying the electricity and drinking water to the EV vehicle registered in the parking lot in advance, and further receiving the sewage generated in the EV vehicle in a sewage treatment plant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the construction of parking lots for safely parking electric vehicles (hereinafter referred to as EVs), which are expected to be the next generation of passenger cars. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, Japan has seen many flood disasters caused by heavy rains, in addition to tsunamis caused by earthquakes. The national government's response to these disasters is to "evacuate early before a disaster occurs." However, even when warnings are issued, many families with elderly people or young children have no way to move and are forced to stay at home, resulting in them being affected by the disaster.

[0003] In the event of an emergency, what consumers want is to have nearby tools to protect the lives of their families. To meet this need, amphibious vehicles that can be used in floods are being considered. The essential requirement for such vehicles is that they must not sink, even if water gets inside the vehicle during a flood.

[0004] Meanwhile, a major change is currently taking place in the global automobile industry. This change is a shift from gasoline-powered vehicles that use fossil fuels to electric vehicles (EVs) as part of efforts to prevent global warming. In order to achieve this change, the world's major automobile manufacturers have announced that they will cease production of gasoline-powered vehicles by the middle of the 21st century at the latest.

[0005] In addition to the environmental benefits, EVs are comfortable and quiet, and this trend is unstoppable. Automakers believe that the key to winning this competition is to improve the storage batteries that power the car, and are planning to make huge investments in developing high-performance, durable storage batteries.

[0006] On the other hand, EVs are a product that is difficult to individualize, so much so that it is said that "anyone with an electrician and a sheet metal worker can make one." Each company is fully aware that they cannot monopolize the market by simply improving the performance of storage batteries, and in parallel with the development of storage batteries, they are working hard to find ways to "provide EVs with unique features that no other company has."

[0007] The inventors obtained the following patent in May of this year for an EV vehicle with these unique features: Patent number: Patent No. 7282322, Patent title: "Amphibious electric vehicle with toilet." This patent first makes the car amphibious, and then adds the ability to use the interior of the car as a living room, kitchen, toilet, washroom, etc. by using equipment installed inside the car for amphibious use. As a result, the EV car of this invention can be used as a mobile living space under normal circumstances, as a lifeboat in the event of a flood, and as temporary housing at the evacuation site.

[0008] This EV is a small vehicle with an interior floor space of about 6m2 that can seat four people, and can be used as a home office, study room, etc. in daily life, as well as for use as an evacuation vehicle for families in the event of a disaster. This EV will not cause any problems when parking in existing parking lots.

[0009] Furthermore, it is easy to expand the interior space of the above compact car to turn it into a medium-sized car with enhanced functionality, and it is expected that it will be put to practical use in the near future. For example, if the interior floor space is 9 m2, a shower, bedroom, and other functions can be added to the car, making it possible to use the car as the main residence rather than just a part of it. With this size, a small family of about four can use it for short trips of a few nights, and a university student or a person working away from home can use it as a residence to live in for a long period of time, for example, for more than a year.

[0010] The above use cases take advantage of the advantages of EVs: they are spacious, quiet, and odorless. If future EVs can be used as such multi-purpose passenger vehicles, this will dramatically change the use of automobiles, which has traditionally been primarily used for transportation. However, this change will pose a major challenge. That is, if you plan to drive to the suburbs in your car and park it in an existing parking lot to stay overnight, there are very few parking lots where you can park with confidence.

[0011] For example, let's imagine a case where you go to a rural area with this car and stay overnight in the car. In current parking lots, even if the passenger wants to shower in the car, it is difficult to do so because there are many unspecified general cars parked nearby and personal privacy cannot be ensured. Currently, the only parking lots available for this EV are some auto camping sites and roadside stations, and the total number of such places nationwide is just under 3,000. DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] In order to solve the parking shortage, this invention proposes the construction of a new parking lot (hereinafter referred to as EV Village). The ultimate goal of this invention is to build public EV Villages in every city, town, and village in the country, and this invention provides specific measures for the approximately 800 universities currently existing in the country as a bridgehead for the development.

[0013] The reason why a university was chosen as the target location for the EV Village is, firstly, that the users of the EV Village will be the students of the university, and safety management will be most assured through cooperation between the university, which owns the equipment, and the students who will use it. Secondly, this concept is expected to bring benefits to the university, the students, and the automakers that will provide the vehicles, and it will help speed up the process of putting it into practical use.

[0014] First, the university will provide the parking lot and the necessary facilities. In addition, the cost of purchasing EVs will be incurred, but it is possible to negotiate with the vehicle manufacturer to reduce the university's burden. For example, the manufacturer can be asked to cover all or part of the cost of purchasing the vehicles, on the condition that the manufacturer is provided with data on the actual use of EV Village. Furthermore, by taking the lead in building EV Villages, the university can expect to increase its recognition as a pioneer in the field ahead of the rest of the world.

[0015] Students who use EV Village can receive both housing and vehicles free of charge. The economic benefits are enormous. Normally, students would be responsible for housing and utility costs when using EV Village, but the ratio can be decided through appropriate discussion between the university and the student.

[0016] Furthermore, if manufacturers can obtain information on the use of EV vehicles at EV Village from the university, they will be able to stay ahead of other companies in terms of technology and use it to make the next improvements. In addition, students who receive the vehicles will use them to travel around the country during their vacations and promote the vehicles' advantages free of charge. This advertising effect is extremely significant.

[0017] As described above, the problem that this invention solves is to timely build a type of parking lot, EV Village, for next-generation EV cars, which is completely different from existing parking lots, in line with the reform in the automobile industry that is being implemented under the current climate change caused by global warming, i.e., "rapid shift from gasoline cars to electric cars." The ultimate goal of this invention is to build parking lots exclusively for EV cars, similar to this invention, in every city, town, and village in the country. However, we must be prepared for a long time to complete this. In this invention, we specify approximately 800 universities across the country as the target locations for the installation, and propose specific measures. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] First, an overview of the next-generation EV that is the subject of this invention is shown in [Figure 1]. The vehicle is roughly 2m wide, 4.5m long, and 2m high, with an interior floor space of approximately 9m2. This is comparable in size to currently available large cruisers. The vehicle is equipped with a storage battery, clean water tank, sewage tank, and air compressor. The storage battery and two tanks are for use within the vehicle, and the air compressor is installed to compress the clean water and sewage water in the tanks with air.

[0019] By installing the above equipment, EVs will be able to have electricity, clean water, sewage and air inside the vehicle, ensuring all the utilities needed for daily life. Furthermore, clean water and electricity can be replenished at will through the supply outlets within the EV Village, so there will be no interruption to the supply.

[0020] A typical example of the interior of an EV for students is shown in the same [Figure 1]. Of the 9m2 interior space, the driver's seat and table are located in the front 3m2 of the vehicle, the kitchen, shower and toilet are located in the central 2m2, and the bed and alarm are located in the rear 4m2 of the vehicle. The layout of each facility is an example for students. The specifications can be changed as appropriate based on actual usage.

[0021] Next, we will explain the EV Village, where 30 EVs will be parked. If the parking space per EV is 1.0 m away from the vehicle's perimeter, the parking space area per vehicle will be approximately 30 m2. To park 30 of these vehicles, a site of approximately 2,000 m2 will be required, including a 5 m-wide aisle. Security cameras will be installed at each corner of the EV Village to monitor the entire parking lot, and a garbage collection area will be installed at the entrance to the parking lot to separate and collect various types of garbage generated by the EVs. The university will secure the land for this. An example of the layout of the parking lot is shown in [Figure 2].

[0022] The site is then divided into parking spaces and walkways, and the following facilities are installed. First, supply outlets for the clean water and electricity needed for EVs are installed in the parking spaces. Second, an inlet for sewage generated by EVs is installed. It is preferable to install these facilities independently for each parking space, but shared facilities are also acceptable. Of the above supply outlets, meters are attached to each of the clean water and electricity in order to keep track of the amount of water supplied to EVs, and users are able to measure and record their usage using a special card or smartphone.

[0023] Flexible hoses provided on the EV are used to connect the EV to the tap water supply port and the water outlet. The connection ports are different sizes to prevent the two from being connected incorrectly. Also, to prevent the danger of starting the EV with the hose still connected, a safety device is installed on the EV to prevent the EV from starting with the flexible hose still connected.

[0024] Detectors will be installed at the entrance and back of each parking space in the EV Village to detect when an EV enters or exits. These detectors are piezoelectric detectors that detect the weight of the vehicle and are installed close to the ground surface of the parking space. By installing these detectors in two locations, at the entrance and back, it will be possible to determine whether a vehicle is entering or exiting based on the detection sequence of the detectors, and thus know the duration of parking lot usage. An overview of these facilities is shown in [Figure 3].

[0025] Furthermore, EV Village will introduce a new emergency warning system to strengthen security. Normally, if a vehicle occupant encounters some kind of danger, they will send an alarm to the police or fire department via their smartphone. In addition to this method, this invention will introduce a new warning system. This is an essential measure in the unique environment of EV Village, where all users are individuals.

[0026] Specifically, when a resident detects any abnormality within the EV Village, they will select a pre-designated EV vehicle from among the other EV vehicles using the same EV Village, and a danger alert will be sent to the designated destination via an alarm installed in the EV vehicle. This system will also be used when receiving an alert from the same person. The introduction of this system will enable users parking within the EV Village to ensure each other's safety. Above all, it is reassuring because if an abnormality is detected, they can immediately call for help from their friends before the police or fire department. Next-generation EV vehicles will be equipped with this alarm in advance. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] The above describes the specific measures for installing an EV Village on a university campus. However, implementing this invention at a single university alone is not expected to lead to significant development. The next step is to expand this EV Village to universities across the country.

[0028] The next step is to set up this EV Village at approximately 800 universities across the country, create common rules between universities, and build a system that can be used mutually. Once this is completed, students will be able to use their vacations to travel from the city center to the countryside, or from the countryside to the city, to have new experiences at low cost. The best way to put this invention into practice is to set up EV Villages at universities across the country, rather than at a single university, to demonstrate the safety and economic viability of this invention.

[0029] Furthermore, to maximize the effects of this invention, a unified cooperative relationship between the automobile manufacturer and the university, including the students, is essential. The construction of an EV Village between universities will be relatively easy to complete, as the contents are similar. However, this concept is merely a milestone in expanding this invention to the scale of cities, towns, and villages across the country. The vehicles used will also be exclusively for students at the start. Based on the results obtained here, an important issue for the future will be to what extent the use of next-generation electric vehicles will spread to the general public. Effects of the Invention

[0030] This invention is premised on the commercialization of the next generation of EVs, which people will use as part of their daily lives. With the aim of popularizing EVs, this invention proposes setting up dedicated parking lots at universities across the country. In today's age of abundance, where material goods are abundant, people's lifestyles are likely to change dramatically. The success or failure of a living space of just 9m2 will depend on trials at universities; will it become a "safe and disciplined functional space" or a "hotbed of drunk driving and crime?"

[0031] This trial will have a significant impact on future EV sales. It will be a great opportunity to verify how people can enjoy food, clothing and shelter with minimal equipment and fixtures in a limited living space. If the trial is successful, this invention will serve as a model for the construction of EV Villages in other municipalities across the country. [Industrial Applicability]

[0032] The final goal of this invention is to build public EV Villages in all municipalities across the country within the next 10 years. However, it will take a considerable amount of time to build EV Villages in all municipalities across the country. As a stopgap measure in the meantime, the currently available parking lots have to rely on car campsites and some roadside stations, as already described. However, if new demand increases due to the popularity of EVs, it would not be difficult to temporarily convert some of the existing general parking lots to EV-only spaces.

[0033] To convert a general parking lot to EV use, the current parking space per vehicle will need to be expanded, and a water supply system and sewage receiving system will be added to the parking lot. As charging equipment for EVs can be made use of existing charging facilities in the city, there is no need to install it within the EV Village, and there will be no increased burden at the time of conversion. Of course, users will be responsible for ensuring safety in this parking lot, and parking fees will remain the same as they are now, so this utilization is merely a temporary measure.

[0034] Furthermore, as a stopgap measure until the construction of public EV Villages, it is also possible to consider using the private parking lots of existing hotels and inns. For example, a hotel could offer its own parking lot to guests as a parking lot exclusively for EVs on the condition that they stay at the hotel, the day before or the day after. Since customers want cheap and safe parking, and hotels can also expect to attract customers by using their own parking lot, this type of parking lot is likely to remain in use in the future. In this case, existing parking lots at tourist spots and hot spring resorts across the country could be immediately used as new EV Villages.

[0035] Above, we have described the construction of EV Village, a new parking lot for the next generation of EV vehicles, and the steps and concepts for its widespread use. Camper vans are already on the market, vehicles equipped with kitchens, toilets, beds, etc. on board. However, these vehicles cannot be used during floods as there is a risk of them capsizing or becoming submerged. The EV vehicle for which we have already obtained a patent is designed to avoid this risk and be able to cope with flooding. The cars people want now are not flying cars. They are cars that float on water.

[0036] On the other hand, even if EVs are released, their widespread use will be difficult if there are no parking lots where EVs can be parked safely. The construction of the EV Village is an essential proposal to meet this demand, providing dedicated parking lots in conjunction with the sale of new cars, so to speak, like the two wheels of a car. In summary, the present invention is claimed in the fifth clause.

[0037] Finally, although it is not within the scope of the present invention, we will describe our plan to expand this EV village to cities, towns, and villages across the country. The number and size of parking lots will differ from city to city, town, and village, but similar to the university case, it will provide spaces for each EV vehicle that respects the individual's privacy, and it will provide utilities necessary for daily life within the EV Village. Furthermore, like the university case, the parking lot will be free to use, with the individual responsible for the costs of utilities used. We expect that a wide range of age groups will be users of this facility.

[0038] The first target audience is ordinary families with children. Generations that have not been able to own campervans until now can easily go to rural areas with this car and enjoy vacations with the whole family. This plan is expected to generate new demand from a wide range of generations who are not satisfied with traditional short trips with one night stay and two meals or group tours organized by travel agencies.

[0039] Next comes the senior generation. Seniors who have finished raising their children can travel to the countryside in this car and stay in the car for a few nights to enjoy their leisure time. If they get bored of living in the car, they can combine it with a nearby hotel or hot spring inn and make any plan they like. The rapid development of self-driving cars will also be a great help to seniors who are not good at driving. This trend coincides with modern seasonal words for seniors such as relocation, decluttering, and graduating from marriage. The ideal state that this invention seeks is for the EV Village concept, which started with university students, to be passed on to the next generation of young families and then connected to the senior generation.

[0040] However, there are still issues to be resolved before this concept can be rolled out nationwide. In the future, people will be able to purchase affordable EVs and move freely around the country, but this will also raise concerns that the number of nomadic residents with no fixed address will increase in various regions, leading to a deterioration in public safety. However, the solution is not difficult. For example, for users who visit rural areas in this EV Village, like the place, and wish to stay for more than a few months, the local government could recognize the EV Village as their official current address, issue them a resident card, and impose the same treatment and responsibilities on them as local residents.

[0041] The response of local governments considering the establishment of an EV Village is important. If the location is not attractive, future development cannot be expected. EV Villages that are not attractive to users will eventually be selected out. Local governments need to proceed with their plans carefully to avoid this happening. When selecting a specific location, it is important to choose a place that is safe for outside users, with a police station or fire station nearby. For example, possible locations include the town hall parking lot, the grounds of a school that was closed due to a merger, the site of a relocated public facility, or land adjacent to a roadside station. In all cases, it is assumed that parking fees will be free.

[0042] Local governments will have a hard time implementing this invention nationwide, but on the other hand, it is a great opportunity to introduce the charms of local areas to the whole country. The charms of local areas are not limited to famous historical sites. There are still countless charms in local areas that city people do not know about. For example, well-maintained rice terraces, clear streams with fireflies dancing, rice paddies with a chorus of frogs, starry skies where you can see artificial satellites, marshes where wild birds fly, flower fields and insect lands, strawberry and cherry villages, and fish traps where young and fallen ayu fish jump. The list is endless.

[0043] Furthermore, people's travel preferences are also changing. Travel is not just about seeking gourmet food and buying local specialties. As we enter an era of post-war reconstruction, rapid economic growth and plenty, it is important for us to reexamine our past history. The caves where many families committed suicide, the remains of the military base from which young people with bombs flew off, the Rias coastline that was hit by a giant tsunami. EV Village can also be used to make a memorial journey to these places.

[0044] To reiterate, the construction of the EV Village for universities of this invention is merely a test for nationwide expansion. If the trial at this university is successful, this proposed EV Village will show the possibility of being used not only as a short-term parking space in cities and towns across the country, but also for long-term stays and even migration. This change shows the possibility that parking lots that started out as EV Villages at universities will become established as "villages" in the true sense of the word, contributing to regional revitalization. We sincerely hope that this transition will become a true "hometown tax donation" that aims to revitalize regional areas. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0045] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the size of a next-generation EV and the layout of the vehicle's interior equipment. [Diagram 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the layout of parking lots within the EV Village at the university. [Diagram 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the layout of facilities within the parking spaces at EV Village. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 Next-generation electric vehicle (plan view) 2 Next-generation electric vehicle (side view) 3. Belt-shaped shock absorber (=air damper) 4. EV interior, front half (= driver's seat, table) 5. EV interior, center (= kitchen, shower with toilet) 6 EV interior rear part (=bed, alarm) 7th Floor 8. Storage Batteries 9. Water Tank 10 Sewage Tank 11 Sorted garbage collection area 12 Piezoelectric detector 13 Water Supply Outlet 14 Sewage intake 15 Power supply port 16 Air Compressor 17 Alarm (with receiving and transmitting functions) 18. Security Cameras 19 Parking Spaces 20 Passage

Claims

1. A parking lot for next-generation electric vehicles (hereinafter referred to as EV vehicles) that are equipped with a storage battery, clean water tank, sewage tank, and air compressor in the vehicle body and can carry out daily activities such as eating, drinking, using the toilet, taking a shower, and sleeping inside the vehicle, and which has a dedicated parking space for each EV vehicle, with a distance of at least 2m between adjacent EV vehicles, and which is equipped with individual or common facilities for each parked EV vehicle, equipment for supplying electricity and clean water and equipment for receiving sewage generated by the EV vehicles, and which can supply electricity and clean water to EV vehicles registered in advance in the parking lot, and can also receive sewage generated by the EV vehicles in the sewage treatment facility.

2. A parking lot for next-generation EV vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that the parking lot is equipped with meters that measure the amount of electricity and clean water used by EV vehicles individually or commonly for each parking space, and the amount of electricity and clean water used is measured and recorded individually for each supplied EV vehicle.

3. A parking lot for next-generation EV vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, with regard to the usage time of EV vehicles in the parking lot, a plurality of detectors are installed in each parking space to detect pressure on the ground surface or in its vicinity to determine the presence of a vehicle, and whether the vehicle is entering or leaving is determined based on the time detected by each detector, and the usage time of the EV vehicle is calculated based on the time difference.

4. The parking lot for next-generation EV vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that an alarm is attached to the EV vehicle that can transmit or receive a warning when the owner of the vehicle detects a danger such as an accident or crime in the parking lot, and by pressing an alarm transmission button installed on the alarm, an alarm is transmitted to other EV vehicles parked in the parking lot that the owner has registered in advance, and alarms from other EV vehicles can be received through the same alarm.

5. The parking lot for next-generation EV vehicles described in claim 1 is characterized in that the parking lot will be set up on existing university land owned by the university and used as a parking lot for current students, and similar parking lots will be set up at universities across the country so that multiple universities can share the parking lots.

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