Electric vehicle

Abstract

To provide an electric vehicle which can properly adjust the weight balance of the vehicle by using a battery installed on the front passenger seat side of the electric vehicle.SOLUTION: An electric vehicle, in which a driver seat 40 and a front passenger seat 30 are provided in line in a vehicle width direction, comprises: a front passenger seat side battery unit BY2 installed on the vehicle front side of the front passenger seat 30; a motor M operative to drive driving wheels when receiving supply of electric power from the front passenger seat side battery BY2; and a battery-moving device 90 which may move the front passenger seat side battery BY2 in at least one of a vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electric vehicle that includes a motor that drives drive wheels and a battery that supplies power to the motor. [Background technology]

[0002] In an electric vehicle equipped with a motor that drives the drive wheels, the cruising distance is greatly affected by the amount of battery that supplies power to the motor. For example, in the case of the electric vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, the battery is mounted in a tunnel portion formed in the floor panel, and is also mounted under the rear seat, thereby increasing the amount of battery that can be mounted. The battery mounted in the tunnel portion of the floor panel has a long and narrow shape in the front-rear direction because the tunnel portion is long in the front-rear 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 (middle portion in the front-rear direction). On the other hand, the battery mounted under the rear seat has a long shape in the left-right direction because the rear seat is long in the left-right direction, thereby increasing the capacity.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses that a raised portion is formed on the passenger seat side of the floor panel, and a battery is disposed within the raised portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-1950566 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2008-155828 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When considering the dynamic performance of an automobile, it is important to reduce the yaw moment of inertia, and the issue is how to reduce the yaw moment of inertia. Therefore, when designing an automobile, the layout of heavy objects is carefully considered to reduce the yaw moment of inertia.

[0006] Here, a general automobile can accommodate multiple passengers, but there are cases where passengers other than the driver are present and cases where no passengers are present during driving. For example, there is a weight difference of one person on the passenger side of the vehicle when there is a passenger in the passenger seat and when there is no passenger. Since the weight difference of one person between the left and right sides of an automobile is large, the yaw moment of inertia changes depending on whether or not there is a passenger in the passenger seat, which may affect the vehicle's dynamic performance.

[0007] Furthermore, the yaw moment of inertia also changes depending on the weight of the driver sitting in the driver's seat and the seating position in the fore-aft direction, which may affect the vehicle's driving performance.

[0008] Furthermore, when driving a car, especially during sporty driving, the front-rear weight distribution and left-right weight distribution settings that affect handling characteristics can be important. In order to achieve the handling characteristics that the driver prefers, or depending on the attributes of the road, the driver may want to change the front-rear weight distribution and left-right weight distribution of the vehicle, but loading a heavy object just for that purpose will increase the vehicle weight unnecessarily, which may actually reduce the driving performance.

[0009] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and has as its object to make it possible to adjust the weight distribution of the vehicle by utilizing a battery mounted on the passenger side of an electric vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present disclosure can be based on an electric vehicle in which a driver's seat and a passenger seat are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction. The electric vehicle includes a passenger-side battery mounted in front of the passenger seat, a motor that receives power from the passenger-side battery to drive drive wheels, and a battery moving means that can move the passenger-side battery in at least one of the vehicle front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction.

[0011] That is, the passenger side battery is a heavy object since it supplies power to the motor. By moving this heavy passenger side battery in the front-rear direction or the vehicle width direction by the battery moving means, it becomes possible to adjust the front-rear weight distribution and the left-right weight distribution of the vehicle. By adjusting the front-rear weight distribution and the left-right weight distribution of the vehicle, it becomes possible to set the weight distribution according to, for example, the presence or absence of an occupant in the passenger seat and the weight of the driver sitting in the driver's seat, and it also becomes possible to realize the handling characteristics preferred by the driver and to set the weight distribution according to the attributes of the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0012] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle may further include a tunnel portion provided in the center of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction, bulging upward and extending in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, and a center battery housed within the tunnel portion and supplying power to the motor.

[0013] According to this configuration, by providing a center battery, the cruising range can be increased while the center of gravity of the vehicle can be moved closer to the center of the vehicle when viewed from above, thereby reducing the yaw moment of inertia.

[0014] A battery moving means according to a third aspect of the present disclosure may include a load detection sensor that detects a load acting on the driver's seat by a occupant seated in the driver's seat, a calculation unit that calculates a target position of the passenger's side battery based on the load detected by the load detection sensor, and a moving mechanism that moves the passenger's side battery so that the passenger's side battery is positioned at the target position calculated by the calculation unit.

[0015] According to this configuration, the optimum position of the passenger-side battery is automatically calculated as the target position according to the weight of the occupant sitting in the driver's seat. Then, the passenger-side battery moves to the optimum position, so that the yaw moment of inertia can be reduced without the occupant having to make any special adjustments or operations.

[0016] A battery moving means according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure may include a position detection sensor that detects the position of the driver's seat in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, a calculation unit that calculates a target position of the passenger-side battery based on the position of the driver's seat in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle detected by the position detection sensor, and a moving mechanism that moves the passenger-side battery so that the passenger-side battery is positioned at the target position calculated by the calculation unit.

[0017] That is, since the driver's seat is generally configured to be adjustable in the fore-aft direction, the vehicle's front-aft weight distribution changes depending on the fore-aft position of the driver's seat. In this configuration, the optimum position of the passenger-side battery is automatically calculated as the target position according to the fore-aft position of the driver's seat. Then, since the passenger-side battery moves to the optimum position, the yaw moment of inertia can be reduced by simply adjusting the position of the driver's seat, without the occupant having to perform any special adjustments or operations.

[0018] The battery moving means according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure may include a fixed rail fixed to a floor panel and extending in a vehicle front-rear direction or a vehicle width direction, and a movable member guided by the fixed rail in a state of being engaged with the fixed rail. In this case, the passenger-side battery can be attached to the movable member.

[0019] According to this configuration, the passenger side battery is attached to the floor panel via the movable member and the fixed rail, so that the mounting position of the passenger side battery is lowered and the center of gravity of the vehicle can be lowered.

[0020] An upper end portion of the passenger-side battery according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure may be positioned lower than an upper surface of a front end portion of a cushion portion of the passenger seat.

[0021] With this configuration, the passenger seat side battery is less likely to come into contact with the back of the thighs of an occupant sitting in the passenger seat, thereby improving the livability of the occupant in the passenger seat. Effect of the Invention

[0022] As described above, the passenger side battery mounted in front of the passenger seat can be moved in at least one of the fore-aft and width directions, making it possible to adjust the weight distribution of the vehicle and reduce the yaw moment of inertia, without carrying unnecessary heavy objects. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a left side view of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electric vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the interior of the electric vehicle with the roof, doors, interior materials, etc. omitted. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing only the battery unit mounted on the vehicle body. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a battery-powered device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the movement mechanism. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0025] 1 and 2 show the exterior of an electric vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle body structure A according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the description of this embodiment, the front side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as "front", the rear side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as "rear", the right side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as "right", and the left side of the vehicle will be 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 referred to as a side view. When the electric vehicle 1 is viewed from above, it is referred to as a top view or plan view.

[0026] The electric vehicle 1 is a passenger vehicle and may be, for example, a coupe type, a hatchback type, or a sedan type vehicle. A bonnet hood 2 is provided at the front of the electric vehicle 1. A front luggage storage space R1 (shown by a dashed line only in FIG. 1) capable of storing luggage is provided below the bonnet hood 2. By opening the bonnet hood 2, the front luggage storage space R1 is opened, making it possible to load and unload luggage.

[0027] A rear hood 3 is provided at the rear of the electric vehicle 1. A rear luggage storage space R2 (shown by a dashed line only in FIG. 1) capable of storing luggage is provided below the rear hood 3. By opening the rear hood 3, the rear luggage storage space R2 is opened, making it possible to load and unload luggage. Note that one or both of the front luggage storage space R1 and the rear luggage storage space R2 may be used as spaces in which auxiliary machinery is disposed.

[0028] A left door 4 and a right door 5 are provided on the left and right sides of the electric vehicle 1, respectively, so as to be able to be opened and closed. The roof 6 may be a fixed roof, a removable roof, or a folding roof. In the case of a removable roof or a folding roof, the electric vehicle becomes an open-top car with no roof above the occupants.

[0029] The body structure A of the electric vehicle 1 includes front wheels 7 and rear wheels 8 on the left and right, respectively, as well as a drive motor M (shown in Figs. 4 and 5, hereinafter simply referred to as motor M) for driving the rear wheels 8. Conventionally known inverter circuits, sensors, driving operation equipment, etc., required for controlling the motor M can be used.

[0030] In this embodiment, the rear wheels 8 are the drive wheels, but the front wheels 7 may be drive wheels, or both the front wheels 7 and the rear wheels 8 may be drive wheels. Which wheels are to be drive wheels can be selected by the arrangement of the motor M; when the motor M is mounted only on the rear side, only the rear wheels 8 are drive wheels, when the motor M is mounted only on the front side, only the front wheels 7 are drive wheels, and when the motor M is mounted both on the front and rear sides, only the front wheels 7 and the rear wheels 8 are drive wheels. In the following explanation, a case where the motor M is mounted only on the rear side will be described.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle interior R3 serving as a space for passengers is provided between the front wheels 7 and the rear wheels 8. As shown in Fig. 4, a vehicle body structure A of an electric vehicle 1 includes a floor panel 10 that forms the floor surface of the vehicle interior R3, and a dash panel 20 that forms the front wall of the vehicle interior R3. The vehicle body structure A also includes an inclined panel 16 that extends upward from the rear end of the floor panel 10 and is inclined so as to be positioned further rearward as it goes upward, and a rear panel 17 that extends rearward from the upper end of the inclined panel 16.

[0032] A tunnel section 11 that bulges upward and extends in the front-rear direction is formed in the center of the floor panel 10 in the vehicle width direction. The interior surfaces of the tunnel section 11, floor panel 10, and dash panel 20 are covered with interior materials (not shown). As shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle body structure A also includes a right side sill 12 that extends in the front-rear direction along the right edge of the floor panel 10, and a left side sill 13 that extends in the front-rear direction along the left edge of the floor panel 10.

[0033] 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 that extends continuously from the front end to the rear end of the floor panel 10.

[0034] This electric vehicle 1 is a right-hand drive vehicle. 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 section 11 in the floor panel 10, respectively. Specifically, the passenger seat 30 is provided on the left side of the tunnel section 11 in the floor panel 10, and the passenger seat 30 is disposed between the tunnel section 11 and the left side side sill 13. The driver's seat 40 is provided on the right side of the tunnel section 11 in the floor panel 10, and the driver's seat 40 is disposed between the tunnel section 11 and the right side sill 12. Therefore, the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 are provided to be aligned in the vehicle width direction with the tunnel section 11 between them. The electric vehicle 1 may be a left-hand drive vehicle, in which case the driver's seat 40 may be provided on the left side and the passenger seat 30 on the right side. In addition, a rear seat may be provided.

[0035] The driver's seat 40 includes a cushion portion 41 that mainly supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant, and a back portion 42 that extends upward from the rear end of the cushion portion 41 and mainly supports the occupant's waist, back, and shoulders. A seat surface is formed by the cushion portion 41. The cushion portion 41 is attached to the floor panel 10 via a slide mechanism 43 (only shown in FIG. 3), although this is not an essential component. The slide mechanism 43 is a mechanism that allows the driver's seat 40 to be positioned at a desired position by moving it in the front-rear direction, and is configured to fix the driver's seat 40 at a desired position. Such a slide mechanism 43 is conventionally well known.

[0036] Similarly, the passenger seat 30 is equipped with a cushion portion 31 and a back portion 32. In FIG. 3, the hip point of the passenger seated in the driver's seat 40 is indicated by the symbol HP1, and the hip point of the passenger seat 30 is indicated by the symbol HP2. Here, it is assumed that the passenger is of standard build and weight, but even if the build or weight changes slightly, the positions of the hip points HP1 and HP2 do not change significantly. In FIG. 4, the hip point of the passenger seated in the passenger seat 30 is indicated by the symbol HP2.

[0037] When the driver's seat 40 is attached to the floor panel 10 so as to be slidable in the fore-aft direction, the hip point HP1 moves in the fore-aft direction depending on the sliding position, but the hip point HP1 when the driver's seat 40 is in a position where a passenger with a standard build can assume a standard driving posture can be used as the reference. The same applies to the hip point HP2 on the passenger seat 30 side. The passenger seat 30 may be attached to the floor panel 10 so as not to be slidable in the fore-aft direction.

[0038] The upper end of the tunnel portion 11 is positioned higher than the upper surfaces of the cushion portions 31 and 41. By making the tunnel portion 11 at such a height, when the center battery unit BY1 (described later) is accommodated in the tunnel portion 11, a wide accommodation space can be secured in the vertical direction.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the bulging height of the tunnel portion 11 from the floor panel 10 (the bulging height from the portion where the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 are attached) increases toward the front. Therefore, the upper end of the tunnel portion 11 is gently inclined so as to be located lower toward the rear. The passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 are located on the sides of the rear portion of the tunnel portion 11, and the rear portion of the tunnel portion 11 overlaps with the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 in a side view. Since the height of the portion of the tunnel portion 11 that overlaps with the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 in a side view is low, for example, a passenger (driver) seated in the driver's seat 40 can move over the tunnel portion 11 to the passenger seat 30 side, and a passenger seated in the passenger seat 30 can move over the tunnel portion 11 to the driver's seat 40 side.

[0040] 3, the width (dimension in the vehicle width direction) of the tunnel section 11 becomes wider toward the front. Specifically, the distance between the left and right walls of the tunnel section 11 becomes narrower toward the rear, and the width of the rear portion of the tunnel section 11 is narrower than the width of the front portion. Since the width of the portions of the tunnel section 11 that overlap with the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 in a side view is narrow, it is possible to ensure a wide width for the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 while suppressing an increase in the vehicle width.

[0041] Incidentally, since the front portion of the tunnel section 11 does not overlap with the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 in a side view, even if the width of the front portion is wide, it does not cause a problem in terms of ensuring the width of the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40. Moreover, since only the feet of the driver and the passenger in the passenger seat 30 are positioned to the sides of the front portion of the tunnel section 11, even if the width of the front portion of the tunnel section 11 is wide, it has almost no effect on the livability of the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40.

[0042] The dash panel 20 extends upward and in the vehicle width direction from the front end of the floor panel 10, and is a member that separates the vehicle interior R3 from the space in front of the vehicle interior R3. A bulging portion 20a that bulges toward the vehicle interior R3 is provided in the center of the dash panel 20 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 5, a lower end of the bulging portion 20a is connected to the front end of the tunnel portion 11.

[0043] 3 to 6, the vehicle body structure A includes a center battery unit BY1, a passenger-side battery unit BY2, a rear right battery unit BY3, and a rear left battery unit BY4. In this embodiment, the battery units BY1 to BY4 are arranged in various parts of the vehicle body, which makes it possible to effectively use multiple spaces formed in various parts of the vehicle body to increase the amount of batteries that can be mounted.

[0044] The center battery unit BY1 is housed in a tunnel section 11. A center battery mounting section 11A in which the center battery unit BY1 can be disposed is provided long in the front-rear direction within the tunnel section 11, and the center battery unit BY1 disposed in the center battery mounting section 11A is fixed to a floor panel 10 or the like so as to be detachable (replaceable). When fixed to the floor panel 10 or the like, the front end of the center battery unit BY1 is positioned rearward of the dash panel 20. This eliminates the presence of the battery, which is a heavy object, in the front portion of the vehicle.

[0045] The center battery unit BY1 includes multiple batteries (center batteries) B1 arranged in a row in the front-to-rear direction, and these batteries B are intended to supply power to a motor M. The motor M receives power from the center battery unit BY1 to drive the rear wheels 8. Although not shown, the center battery unit BY1 may also include a battery case that houses the center battery B1, a sensor that detects the temperature of the center battery B1, a heat exchanger that adjusts the temperature of the center battery B1, etc.

[0046] Center battery B1 is composed of chargeable and dischargeable secondary batteries (battery cells) and the like. Center battery B1 may be, for example, a lithium ion battery, an all-solid-state battery, or another type of secondary battery. Center battery B1 may be a so-called battery cell, or a battery pack containing multiple battery cells. In the figure, center battery B1 is shown as a rectangular parallelepiped to approximate its shape, but the shape of center battery B1 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped. All center batteries B1 are the same.

[0047] Since the motor M drives the rear wheels 8, it is provided at the rear of the vehicle body, specifically behind the center battery unit BY1. The center battery unit BY1 is configured to become heavier as it moves away from the motor M, i.e., toward the front. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the center battery unit BY1 is configured so that the width (dimension in the left-right direction) of the center battery unit BY1 increases as it moves away from the motor M in a top view of the vehicle. Specifically, five center batteries B1 constituting the center battery unit BY1 are lined up in the front-rear direction with the longitudinal direction being the front-rear direction. The foremost center batteries B1 are lined up in three in the vehicle width direction. The second-nearest center batteries B1 are lined up in two in the vehicle width direction. The third- and fourth-nearest center batteries B1 and the rearmost center batteries B1 are lined up in a single row in the front-rear direction, and therefore are not lined up in the vehicle width direction.

[0048] Furthermore, center battery unit BY1 is configured so that its vertical dimension increases with increasing distance from motor M. As shown in Fig. 5, the frontmost center battery B1 and the second-nearest center battery B1 are lined up in fours vertically. The third-nearest and third-nearest center batteries B1 are lined up in threes vertically. The rearmost center battery B1 is lined up in twos vertically. The number of center batteries B1 lined up in the vertical direction can also be referred to as the number of stages or the number of layers.

[0049] In other words, the center battery B1 is arranged so that the width of the center battery unit BY1 increases the further away from the motor M, and the vertical dimension of the center battery unit BY1 increases the further away from the motor M. For this reason, the front end of the center battery unit BY1 is the heaviest, and the rear end of the center battery unit BY1 is the lightest. The weight of the front-to-rear intermediate part of the center battery unit BY1 is halfway between the front and rear ends.

[0050] The passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40 are located to the sides of the center battery B1, which is located third, fourth, and rearmost from the front of the center battery unit BY1. Meanwhile, the center batteries B1, which are located foremost and second from the front of the center battery unit BY1, are disposed forward of the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40. That is, the center batteries B1 are not lined up in the vehicle width direction in the portion of the center battery unit BY1 between the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40, so the width is set narrower than the portion of the center battery unit BY1 forward of the passenger seat 30 and the driver's seat 40. The width of the center battery unit BY1 corresponds to the width of the tunnel section 11, and becomes narrower toward the rear.

[0051] In addition, the center batteries B1 located at the front and second furthest from the front of the center battery unit BY1 have the most number of tiers, the third and fourth furthest from the front have the next fewest number of tiers, and the rearmost center battery B1 has the fewest number of tiers. As a result, the height of the center battery unit BY1 increases toward the front in accordance with the bulging height of the tunnel section 11.

[0052] The number of center batteries B1 constituting the center battery unit BY1, the number of rows in the front-rear direction, and the number of rows are not limited to those described above, and can be set arbitrarily. That is, the row and number of rows of the center batteries B1 may be set so that the center battery unit BY1 becomes heavier the farther it is from the motor M. For example, the number of rows in the front-rear direction may be any number equal to or greater than two, and the number of rows may be any number equal to or greater than one.

[0053] The passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is disposed in front of the cushion portion 31 of the passenger seat 30 on the floor panel 10. As a portion for disposing the passenger seat side battery unit BY2, a passenger seat side battery disposing portion 11B in which the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 can be disposed is provided in front of the passenger seat 30. Specifically, the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is disposed in a rear portion of the floor panel 10 on the passenger seat side, and a front portion of the floor panel 10 on the passenger seat side is made into a foot rest portion 10a on which the feet of an occupant seated in the passenger seat 30 can be placed. An occupant with a normal body type rarely takes a posture in which the feet are placed immediately in front of the cushion portion 31 of the passenger seat 30, and often stretches out the legs a little and places the legs away from the cushion portion 31 forward. In this embodiment, the passenger side battery unit BY2 is not located forward from the cushion portion 31, and a footrest portion 10a is provided, so that the comfort of the occupant seated in the passenger seat 30 can be increased while the battery B2 is mounted on the passenger seat 30 side.

[0054] The vehicle body structure A includes a battery moving device (one example of a battery moving means) 90 that can move the passenger-side battery unit BY2 in at least one of the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction. The battery moving device 90 will be described in detail later.

[0055] The positional relationship between the passenger-side battery unit BY2 and the hip point HP1 of the occupant seated in the driver's seat 40 will be described. The passenger-side battery unit BY2 moves in at least one of the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction by the battery movement device 90, but the following description is based on the premise that the passenger-side battery unit BY2 is positioned in the center of the movement range in the front-rear direction and in the center of the movement range in the vehicle width direction. The passenger-side battery unit BY2 positioned in the center of the movement range is disposed forward of the hip point HP1 of the occupant seated in the driver's seat 40. In FIG. 3, the center of gravity of the passenger-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 occupant seated in the driver's seat 40, the vehicle center (point P2), and the center of gravity of the passenger-side battery unit BY2 (point P1) are disposed on the same straight line (imaginary line L). The imaginary line L is inclined in a top view so that the closer it is to the driver's seat 40, the further back it is positioned.

[0056] The passenger-side battery unit BY2 includes a plurality of batteries B2a, B2b, similar to the center battery B1 constituting the center battery unit BY1. The batteries B2a, B2b also serve to supply power to the motor M. The passenger-side battery unit BY2 may include a battery case, a sensor for detecting the temperature of the batteries B2a, B2b, a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the batteries B2a, B2b, and the like. The upper end of the passenger-side battery unit BY2 is positioned below the upper surface of the front end of the cushion portion 31 of the passenger seat 30. The passenger-side battery unit BY2 is also configured to become lower as it moves forward. Specifically, Specifically, the batteries B2a, B2b are arranged in the front-rear direction with the longitudinal direction being the vehicle width direction, and include a front battery B2a and a rear battery B2b. The front battery B2a is in one tier, and the rear battery B2b is in two tiers. Since the height of the upper end of the front battery B2a is low, when an occupant sitting in the passenger seat 30 naturally stretches his / her legs, the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 is unlikely to come into contact with the back of the thigh, etc. This can improve the habitability of the occupant in the passenger seat 30.

[0057] The front battery B2a and the rear battery B2b are covered by a battery cover 50 (shown only in FIG. 4). The battery cover 50 may be made of a flexible material such as cloth or synthetic leather, or may be made of a hard resin material. The battery cover 50 may be a member that constitutes a part of the passenger-side battery unit BY2.

[0058] The number of batteries B2a, B2b constituting the passenger-side battery unit BY2, the number of batteries arranged in the front-rear direction, and the number of stages are not limited to those described above, and can be set arbitrarily. That is, the arrangement and number of stages of the batteries B2a, B2b may be set so that the passenger-side battery unit BY2 becomes lower toward the front, and for example, the number of batteries arranged in the front-rear direction may be any number equal to or greater than 2, and the number of stages may be any number equal to or greater than 1. The batteries B2a, B2b may have their longitudinal direction facing the vehicle width direction or the front-rear direction. Also, the front battery B2a and the rear battery B2b may have the same number of stages.

[0059] As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the motor M is attached to a subframe 80 provided on the rear lower part of the vehicle body, and is disposed in the middle part in the vehicle width direction below the inclined panel 16 and the rear panel 17. The motor M is disposed so that its output shaft M1 is oriented in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the output shaft M1 of the motor M protrudes rearward. The front part of the motor M is disposed inside the tunnel section 11. Since the mounting position of the motor M is thus set as far forward as possible, the motor M is disposed so as to overlap at least a part of the back section 32 of the passenger seat 30 in the side view shown in Fig. 4. For example, the lower part of the back section 32 and the front part of the motor M can be disposed so as to overlap in the side view. This allows the motor M to be closer to the center of the vehicle.

[0060] The vehicle body structure A includes a left drive shaft 60 and a right drive shaft 61 that are provided behind the tunnel portion 11 of the floor panel 10 and transmit the rotational force of the motor M to the rear wheels 8, which are drive wheels. The left drive shaft 60 and the right drive shaft 61 extend in the vehicle width direction. The motor M is provided between the left drive shaft 60 and the right drive shaft 61 and the tunnel portion 11. Therefore, the motor M is disposed closer to the center of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction than the drive shafts 60 and 61. Although not shown, in the case where the motor is provided on the front side and drives the front wheels 7, the left drive shaft and the right drive shaft may be provided in front of the tunnel portion 11.

[0061] The vehicle body structure A also includes a transmission 62 and a differential gear box 63. The transmission 62 and the differential gear box 63 are attached to a subframe 80. The transmission 62 and the differential gear box 63 are disposed 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 a 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 input to the transmission 62. The transmission 62 is a transmission or a reduction gear. When the transmission 62 is a transmission, it may be a stepped transmission or a continuously variable transmission. The transmission 62 and the differential gear box 63 may be integrated, and the gears constituting the transmission and the gears constituting the differential mechanism may be housed in one gear box. In addition, the motor M and the transmission 62 may be modularized. Although not shown, in the case where the motor M is provided on the front side of the vehicle body to drive the front wheels 7, the transmission 62 and the differential gear box 63 may be provided in front of the tunnel section 11.

[0062] 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 a differential gear box 63 and drive shafts 60 and 61 .

[0063] As shown in Fig. 3, the rear right battery unit BY3 is provided behind the driver's seat 40. The inclined panel 16 is located behind the driver's seat 40, and a rear right battery mounting section 11C in which the rear right battery unit BY3 can be mounted is provided behind the inclined panel 16 (outside the vehicle compartment R3). The rear right battery unit BY3 includes a plurality of rear right batteries B3 similar to the center battery B1 that configures the center battery unit BY1. The rear right battery B3 also serves to supply power to the motor M. The rear right battery unit BY3 may include a battery case, a sensor that detects the temperature of the rear right battery B3, a heat exchanger that adjusts the temperature of the rear right battery B3, and the like.

[0064] The rear left battery unit BY4 is provided behind the passenger seat 30. The inclined panel 16 is located behind the passenger seat 30, and a rear left battery mounting section 11D in which the rear left battery unit BY4 can be mounted is provided behind the inclined panel 16 (outside the passenger compartment R3). The rear left battery unit BY4 includes a plurality of rear left batteries B4 similar to the center battery B1 that constitutes the center battery unit BY1. The rear left battery B4 also serves to supply power to the motor M. The rear left battery unit BY4 may include a battery case, a sensor that detects the temperature of the rear left battery B4, a heat exchanger that adjusts the temperature of the rear left battery B4, and the like.

[0065] The rear right battery mounting section 11C and the rear left battery mounting section 11D are provided in front of the transmission 62 when the transmission 62 is used as a reference. The rear right battery mounting section 11C and the rear left battery mounting section 11D are provided on both sides of the motor M in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the motor M is disposed between the rear right battery B3 and the rear left battery B4, and is disposed so that the rear right battery B3 and the rear left battery B4 at least partially overlap the motor M in a side view. 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, and therefore can also be called side batteries.

[0066] The number of rear right batteries B3 constituting the rear right battery unit BY3, the number of arrangements in the front-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-rear direction, and the number of stages can also be set arbitrarily. The rear right battery B3 and the rear left battery B4 may have their longitudinal directions facing the vehicle width direction or the front-rear direction. In addition, the rear right battery unit BY3 and the rear left battery unit BY4 are detachable.

[0067] (Details of the battery transfer device) As shown in Fig. 7, the battery moving device 90 includes a moving mechanism 91 for moving the batteries B2a, B2b of the passenger-side battery unit BY2 in at least one of the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction, a load detection sensor 92, and a control unit 93. First, the details of the moving mechanism 91 will be described with reference to Fig. 8.

[0068] The movement mechanism 91 includes a front-rear guide unit 100 that guides the batteries B2a, B2b in the front-rear direction, a front left-right guide unit 101 that guides the front battery B2a in the left-right direction, and a rear left-right guide unit 102 that guides the rear battery B2b in the left-right direction. The front-rear guide unit 100 includes a fixed rail 100a that is fixed to the floor panel 10 and extends in the front-rear direction, and a movable member 100b that is guided in the front-rear direction by the fixed rail 100a while engaged with the fixed rail 100a. The movable member 100b cannot move relative to the fixed rail 100a in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The number of front-rear guide units 100 may be two or more.

[0069] The front left-right guide section 101 includes a front rail 101a that is fixed to a movable member 100b of the front-rear guide section 100 and extends in the left-right direction, and a front movable member 101b that is guided in the left-right direction by the front rail 101a while engaged with the front rail 101a. The front movable member 101b cannot move relative to the front rail 101a in the up-down direction or the front-rear direction.

[0070] The rear left-right guide section 102 includes a rear rail 102a that is fixed to a movable member 100b of the front-rear guide section 100 and extends in the left-right direction, and a rear movable member 102b that is guided in the left-right direction by the rear rail 102a while engaged with the rear rail 102a. The rear movable member 102b cannot move relative to the rear rail 102a in the up-down direction or the front-rear direction.

[0071] The front battery B2a is attached to the front movable member 101b. Also, the rear battery B2b is attached to the rear movable member 102b. That is, the front battery B2a and the rear battery B2b are attached to the movable member 100b via the front left / right guide portion 101 and the rear left / right guide portion 102, respectively, so that the front battery B2a and the rear battery B2b can be moved in the front / rear direction by the front / rear guide portion 100. Meanwhile, in the left / right direction, the front battery B2a can be moved by the front left / right guide portion 101, and the rear battery B2b can be moved by the rear left / right guide portion 102, so that the front battery B2a and the rear battery B2b can be moved separately.

[0072] The front battery B2a and the rear battery B2b may be movable together in the left-right direction. Although not shown, only the front-rear guide unit 100 may be provided to allow the front battery B2a and the rear battery B2b to move only in the front-rear direction. Although not shown, only the left-right guide unit may be provided to allow the front battery B2a and the rear battery B2b to move only in the left-right direction. When the front battery B2a and the rear battery B2b are moved only in the left-right direction, the guide unit is configured to include a fixed rail fixed to the floor panel 10 and extending in the vehicle width direction, and a movable member that is engaged with the fixed rail and guided in the vehicle width direction by the fixed rail, and the front battery B2a and the rear battery B2b are attached to the movable member.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 7, the movement mechanism 91 includes a front-rear drive unit 91a, a front left-right drive unit 91b, and a rear left-right drive unit 91c. The front-rear drive unit 91a, the front left-right drive unit 91b, and the rear left-right drive unit 91c are each configured with a linear actuator such as an electric feed screw mechanism. The front-rear drive unit 91a is a part that drives the movable member 100b of the front-rear guide unit 100 in the front-rear direction. The front left-right drive unit 91b is a part that drives the front movable member 101b of the front left-right guide unit 101 in the left-right direction. The rear left-right drive unit 91c is a part that drives the rear movable member 102b of the rear left-right guide unit 102 in the left-right direction.

[0074] The load detection sensor 92 is a sensor that detects a load acting on the driver's seat 40 by an occupant seated in the driver's seat 40. Specifically, the load detection sensor 92 can be configured as a pressure detection sensor or the like built into the cushion portion 41 of the driver's seat 40. When an occupant sits in the driver's seat 40, a load according to the weight of the occupant acts as a downward load on the load detection sensor 92. By the load detection sensor 92 detecting this load, it becomes possible to estimate the weight of the occupant seated in the driver's seat 40.

[0075] The control unit 93 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer, and operates according to a program stored in advance. The control unit 93 includes a calculation unit 93a and a drive control unit 93b. The calculation unit 93a is a part that acquires the load detected by the load detection sensor 92, and calculates the target positions of the batteries B2a and B2b based on the acquired load. When calculating the target positions, for example, the weights of the batteries B2a and B2b are also taken into consideration. For example, the target positions are calculated so that the greater the load detected by the load detection sensor 92, the farther the target positions of the batteries B2a and B2b are from the driver's seat 40 in the left-right direction. Conversely, the smaller the load detected by the load detection sensor 92, the closer the target positions of the batteries B2a and B2b are to the driver's seat 40 in the left-right direction. This allows for a good left-right weight balance of the vehicle body.

[0076] Moreover, the greater the load detected by the load detection sensor 92, the further the target positions of the batteries B2a, B2b are calculated to be from the driver's seat 40 in the fore-and-aft direction. Conversely, the smaller the load detected by the load detection sensor 92, the closer the target positions of the batteries B2a, B2b are calculated to be from the driver's seat 40 in the fore-and-aft direction. This makes it possible to achieve a good weight balance between the front and rear of the vehicle body.

[0077] The drive control unit 93b is a part that controls the front-rear drive unit 91a, the front left-right drive unit 91b, and the rear left-right drive unit 91c, and moves the batteries B2a and B2b so that they are located at the target positions calculated by the calculation unit 93a. When the batteries B2a and B2b are moved in the front-rear direction, the drive control unit 93b controls the front-rear drive unit 91a to move the batteries B2a and B2b to the target positions in the front-rear direction. When the front battery B2a is moved in the left-right direction, the drive control unit 93b controls the front left-right drive unit 91b to move the front battery B2a to the target position in the left-right direction. When the rear battery B2b is moved in the left-right direction, the drive control unit 93b controls the rear left-right drive unit 91c to move the rear battery B2b to the target position in the left-right direction.

[0078] The weight of the batteries B2a, B2b can also be used by the driver to adjust the weight balance of the vehicle body. For example, a position adjustment switch (not shown) is provided, and when the driver inputs the target positions of the batteries B2a, B2b using this position adjustment switch, the target positions are determined as the target positions of the batteries B2a, B2b and input to the drive control unit 93b. The drive control unit 93b can place the batteries B2a, B2b at the positions input by the driver by controlling the front-rear drive unit 91a, the front left-right drive unit 91b, and the rear left-right drive unit 91c as described above.

[0079] The control unit 93 may also display the target positions on a monitor 200 disposed in the vehicle interior R3 as optimal positions for the batteries B2a and B2b. The monitor 200 is disposed, for example, in a console or a meter panel. The control unit 93 converts the target positions of the batteries B2a and B2b calculated by the calculation unit 93a into display data, and outputs the display data to the monitor 200, thereby displaying the target positions of the batteries B2a and B2b on the monitor 200 and informing the driver, etc. The display form on the monitor 200 is not particularly limited, and may display, for example, in which direction and by how far the current batteries B2a and B2b need to be moved to reach the target positions, or may display the difference between the current positions of the batteries B2a and B2b and the target positions.

[0080] (Modification of the battery movement device) Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a battery moving device 90 according to a modified example. In this modified example, a position detection sensor 95 (also shown in Fig. 3) is provided for detecting the position of the driver's seat 40 in the front-rear direction. The position detection sensor 95 can be provided, for example, in the slide mechanism 43, and can obtain the position of the driver's seat 40 in the front-rear direction by detecting the amount of movement of the slide mechanism 43. A calculation unit 93a calculates the target positions of the batteries B2a and B2b based on the load detected by the position detection sensor 95. A movement mechanism 91 moves the batteries B2a and B2b so that the batteries B2a and B2b are placed in the target positions calculated by the calculation unit 93a.

[0081] For example, the closer the fore-aft position of the driver's seat 40 detected by the position detection sensor 95 is to the rear end (rear end of the movement range of the driver's seat 40), the more the target positions of the batteries B2a, B2b are calculated to be moved away from the driver's seat 40 in the fore-aft direction. Conversely, the closer the fore-aft position of the driver's seat 40 detected by the position detection sensor 95 is to the front end (front end of the movement range of the driver's seat 40), the more the target positions of the batteries B2a, B2b are calculated to be moved closer to the driver's seat 40 in the fore-aft direction. This allows for a good weight balance between the front and rear of the vehicle body.

[0082] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, the vehicle body structure A of the electric vehicle 1 according to this embodiment includes the passenger-side battery unit BY2, which is a heavy object since it supplies power to the motor M. By moving the heavy passenger-side battery unit BY2 in the front-rear direction or the vehicle width direction by the battery moving device 90, it becomes possible to adjust the front-rear weight distribution and the left-right weight distribution of the vehicle. By adjusting the front-rear weight distribution and the left-right weight distribution of the vehicle, it becomes possible to set the weight distribution according to, for example, the presence or absence of an occupant in the passenger seat 30 or the weight of the driver seated in the driver's seat 40, and it also becomes possible to realize the handling characteristics preferred by the driver and to set the weight distribution according to the attributes of the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0083] The above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in every respect and should not be interpreted as being restrictive. Furthermore, all modifications and changes within the scope of equivalence of the claims are 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. The motor M may be provided on the left side or on the right side of the vehicle body. The motor M may be disposed so that its output shaft M1 faces in the vehicle width direction. The center battery B1 may be omitted.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the passenger-side battery unit BY2 is automatically moved by the battery moving device 90, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the driver or the like may manually move the passenger-side battery unit BY2. In this case, although not shown, an operating member such as a manual lever is provided on the battery moving device 90, and the passenger-side battery unit BY2 can be moved in the front-rear direction or the vehicle width direction by operating this operating member. After being moved, the passenger-side battery unit BY2 is fixed.

[0085] Furthermore, in the case where the passenger seat 30 is slidable in the front-rear direction, by connecting the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 to the passenger seat 30, the passenger seat side battery unit BY2 can be moved in the front-rear direction together with the passenger seat 30. In this case, the battery moving device 90 is constituted by the passenger seat 30 which is slidable in the front-rear direction. [Industrial Applicability]

[0086] As described above, the present disclosure can be used in an electric vehicle equipped with a drive motor and a battery. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1. Electric vehicles 10th Floor 11 Tunnel section 40 Driver's seat 90 Battery transport device 91 Moving mechanism 92 Load detection sensor 93a Calculation part 95 Position detection sensor 100a fixed rail 100b Movable member B1 Center battery BY2 passenger side battery unit B2a Front battery B2b Rear battery

Claims

1. An electric vehicle in which a driver's seat and a passenger seat are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, A passenger seat side battery mounted in front of the passenger seat; a motor that receives power from the passenger seat battery to drive a drive wheel; and a battery moving means for moving the passenger seat side battery in at least one of a front-rear direction and a width direction of the vehicle.

2. 2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, a tunnel portion provided in a center portion of the floor panel in a vehicle width direction, the tunnel portion bulging upward and extending in a vehicle front-rear direction; and a center battery housed in the tunnel portion and supplying power to the motor.

3. 2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, The battery moving means includes a load detection sensor that detects a load acting on the driver's seat by a occupant seated in the driver's seat, a calculation unit that calculates a target position of the passenger's side battery based on the load detected by the load detection sensor, and a moving mechanism that moves the passenger's side battery so that the passenger's side battery is positioned at the target position calculated by the calculation unit.

4. 2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, the battery moving means includes a position detection sensor that detects the position of the driver's seat in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction, a calculation unit that calculates a target position of the passenger-side battery based on the position of the driver's seat in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction detected by the position detection sensor, and a moving mechanism that moves the passenger-side battery so that the passenger-side battery is located at the target position calculated by the calculation unit.

5. 2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, the battery moving means includes a fixed rail fixed to a floor panel and extending in a vehicle front-rear direction or a vehicle width direction, and a movable member engaged with the fixed rail and guided by the fixed rail; The passenger side battery is attached to the movable member.

6. 6. The electric vehicle according to claim 5, an upper end portion of the passenger-side battery is positioned lower than an upper surface of a front end portion of a cushion portion of the passenger seat.

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