Electric vehicle

Abstract

To effectively utilize a battery mounting space in an electric vehicle.SOLUTION: An electric vehicle 20 includes a plurality of battery housing portions 70A, 70B, an electric circuit 95, and a switch control unit 100A (a first processor). A battery pack 80 is mounted in each of the plurality of battery housing portions 70A, 70B so as to be detachable. The electric circuit 95 connects the plurality of battery packs 80 in parallel. The electric circuit 95 includes a plurality of switches 92A, 92B. The switch control unit 100A performs on / off control of the plurality of switches 92A, 92B. The switch control unit 100A sets the switches 92A, 92B to an on-state for the battery pack 80 designated as the power supply battery. In addition, the switch control unit 100A sets the switches 92A, 92B to an off-state for the battery pack 80 designated as an item for transportation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This specification discloses an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric vehicle. This electric vehicle is driven by a motor. A battery pack is the power source for the motor. This battery pack is detachable from the vehicle. For example, multiple battery packs are connected to the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-93258 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, if the distance from the departure point to the destination is short, the power consumption is low. In such a case, the electric vehicle can travel to the destination without installing all of the battery packs that can be connected. In such a case, if all of the battery packs are installed in the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle will be traveling with unnecessary heavy loads. As a result, the power consumption rate [wh / km] may worsen.

[0005] Therefore, it is conceivable to install the minimum necessary battery packs in an electric vehicle and leave the remaining battery space empty. However, when the electric vehicle is, for example, a cargo vehicle, there is room for improvement in terms of transportation efficiency when traveling in an empty state.

[0006] Therefore, this specification discloses an electric vehicle that can effectively utilize the space for mounting the battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The electric vehicle disclosed in this specification includes a rotating electric machine, multiple battery storage units, and an electric circuit. The rotating electric machine is a driving source. Each of the multiple battery storage units has a detachable battery pack mounted therein. The electric circuit is capable of connecting the multiple battery packs to the rotating electric machine. The electric circuit further connects the multiple battery packs in parallel. The electric circuit also includes multiple switches. The multiple switches are capable of switching each battery pack between conductive and non-conductive. The electric vehicle further includes a first processor. The first processor controls the on / off of the multiple switches. The first processor sets the switches to the on state for battery packs designated as power supply batteries. The first processor also sets the switches to the off state for battery packs designated as transported goods.

[0008] According to the above configuration, a part of the battery housing portion can be used as a space for transported goods.

[0009] In the above configuration, the electric vehicle may also include an input unit. The input unit can designate the battery pack as either a power supply battery or an item to be transported. The battery storage unit includes a first battery storage unit and a second battery storage unit. The first battery storage unit has a relatively short wiring length to the rotating electric machine. The second battery storage unit has a relatively long wiring length to the rotating electric machine. When the battery pack stored in the second battery storage unit has not been designated as an item to be transported, an operation to designate the battery pack stored in the first battery storage unit as an item to be transported may be performed from the input unit. In this case, the first processor designates the battery pack stored in the second battery storage unit as an item to be transported.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the battery storage section, which has a relatively high wiring resistance to the rotating electrical machine, is preferentially designated as the space for transported goods.

[0011] In the above configuration, the electric vehicle includes a fixed battery and a second processor. The fixed battery is fixed to the vehicle body. The second processor controls the power consumption of the on-board electrical equipment. The second processor sets the sum of the rated output of the fixed battery and the rated output of the battery pack designated as the power supply battery as the maximum value of the total power consumption.

[0012] According to the above configuration, deterioration of the fixed battery and the battery pack can be suppressed.

[0013] In the above configuration, the battery storage section may include a housing. The housing accommodates the battery pack. The housing has guide grooves formed on an inner bottom surface. Forks of a forklift are inserted into the guide grooves.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the battery pack can be accurately positioned in the housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the electric vehicle disclosed in this specification, it is possible to effectively utilize the space available for mounting the battery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a chassis of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an electric circuit of an electric vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an ECU. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a flow of specifying a transported battery. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a power upper limit value setting flow. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An electric vehicle according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The shapes, materials, quantities, and values ​​described below are examples for the purpose of explanation. These shapes, etc. can be changed as appropriate depending on the specifications of the electric vehicle. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used to designate equivalent elements in all of the drawings below.

[0018] In Figures 1 and 2, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by the FR axis. The width direction of the vehicle is indicated by the RW axis. Furthermore, the height direction of the vehicle is indicated by the UP axis. The FR axis, RW axis, and UP axis are perpendicular to each other. The positive direction of the FR axis is the front. The positive direction of the RW axis is the right. The positive direction of the UP axis is up.

[0019] 1. Vehicle configuration An electric vehicle 20 according to this embodiment is shown in FIG. 1. The electric vehicle 20 (BEV, Battery Electric Vehicle) runs on power supplied from a battery. In this embodiment, a fixed battery 55 and a battery pack 80 (see FIG. 2) can serve as the power source for the electric vehicle 20. The electric vehicle 20 uses a rotating electric machine 56 as its driving source. The rotating electric machine 56 is driven by power supplied from the fixed battery 55 and the battery pack 80.

[0020] The electric vehicle 20 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is, for example, a cargo vehicle. The electric vehicle 20 includes a chassis 50 (platform). A cab 30 and a luggage compartment 35 are mounted on the chassis 50. In the example of Fig. 1, the cab 30 and the luggage compartment 35 are shown as separate components, but the cab 30 and the luggage compartment 35 may be integrated. In other words, the electric vehicle 20 may be a so-called cab-over type vehicle or a van type vehicle.

[0021] 2. Chassis structure Referring to FIG. 2, the chassis 50 is a basic structure of the electric vehicle 20. The chassis 50 includes frames 51A, 51B and cross members 52A, 52B, 52C as skeletal components. The frames 51A, 51B extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle (the FR axis direction). The frames 51A, 51B are arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction (the RW axis direction). For example, the frames 51A, 51B are channel steels. The groove openings of the frames 51A, 51B face the center in the vehicle width direction.

[0022] The cross members 52A, 52B, and 52C extend in the vehicle width direction and connect the frames 51A and 51B together. For example, both ends of the cross members 52A, 52B, and 52C in the vehicle width direction are welded to the frames 51A and 51B.

[0023] Front wheels 53A, 53B and rear wheels 54A, 54B are arranged on the outer sides of frames 51A, 51B in the vehicle width direction. For example, electric vehicle 20 is a front-wheel drive vehicle. For example, driving force of rotating electric machine 56 is transmitted to front wheels 53A, 53B via gear 59. For example, rotating electric machine 56 and gear 59 are arranged alongside front wheels 53A, 53B along the vehicle width direction.

[0024] A plurality of electrical devices are arranged on chassis 50. For example, chassis 50 includes a fixed battery 55, a step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 57, an inverter 58, a rotating electric machine 56, a first battery housing 70A, a second battery housing 70B, an external charging inlet 60, and a charger / discharger 61.

[0025] The accommodation space between the frames 51A and 51B accommodates a stationary battery 55, a step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 57, an inverter 58, a rotating electric machine 56, and a charger / discharger 61. A first battery accommodation section 70A, a second battery accommodation section 70B, and an external charging inlet 60 are provided outward in the vehicle width direction from the frames 51A and 51B.

[0026] The fixed battery 55 is the main battery of the electric vehicle 20. For example, the fixed battery 55 cannot be removed from the vehicle. In other words, the fixed battery 55 is fixed to the vehicle body. For example, the fixed battery 55 is disposed under the luggage compartment 35. Furthermore, the fixed battery 55 is bolted to the cross members 52B, 52C and the frames 51A, 51B. Therefore, the fixed battery 55 is structured so that it cannot be removed except under special circumstances such as a factory. For example, the fixed battery 55 cannot be removed from the vehicle unless the electric vehicle 20 is jacked up and a worker accesses the bottom of the electric vehicle 20 and removes the bolts.

[0027] The fixed battery 55 may also be referred to as a main battery. For example, the rated output [kW] of the fixed battery 55 is equal to or greater than the rated output [kW / rpm] of the rotating electric machine 56. In other words, even when the battery pack 80 is not connected to the electric vehicle 20, the electric vehicle can be driven by the fixed battery 55 alone.

[0028] 2, the electric vehicle 20 can be connected to a maximum of two battery packs 80 in addition to the fixed battery 55. By connecting the battery packs 80, the maximum output [kW / rpm] of the rotating electric machine 56 increases. The connection process will be described in detail later.

[0029] In the accommodation space between the frames 51A and 51B, a step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 57, a charger / discharger 61, and an inverter 58 are arranged between the stationary battery 55 and the rotating electrical machine 56. The functions of these components will be described in detail later.

[0030] Devices accessible from outside the vehicle are arranged on the outer sides of frames 51A, 51B in the vehicle width direction. That is, first battery housing 70A, second battery housing 70B, and external charging inlet 60 are arranged on the outer sides of frames 51A, 51B in the vehicle width direction. These devices are fixed to outer surfaces 51A1, 51B1 (see FIG. 2) of frames 51A, 51B. For example, first battery housing 70A, second battery housing 70B, and external charging inlet 60 are arranged between front wheels 53A, 53B and rear wheels 54A, 54B.

[0031] External charging inlet 60 is disposed, for example, on the left side of the vehicle, near front wheel 53B. External charging inlet 60 is a power supply port for charging fixed battery 55. A connector (not shown) of an external power source is inserted into external charging inlet 60. This charges fixed battery 55.

[0032] The first battery receptacle 70A and the second battery receptacle 70B each detachably mount a battery pack 80. Although only the internal structure of the second battery receptacle 70B is visible in FIG. 2, the first battery receptacle 70A and the second battery receptacle 70B have the same shape and structure. More precisely, the first battery receptacle 70A and the second battery receptacle 70B have symmetrical shapes and structures. The internal structure of the second battery receptacle 70B will be described below. However, by replacing the suffix "B" of each component with "A," the following description can be replaced with a description of the first battery receptacle 70A.

[0033] The second battery storage section 70B includes a housing 71B, a cover 72B, and a connector 73B. The housing 71B stores the battery pack 80. The housing 71B is box-shaped. An opening of the housing 71B faces outward in the vehicle width direction. The cover 72B covers the opening of the housing 71B. The cover 72B is positioned at the outermost position in the vehicle width direction of the second battery storage section 70B. The cover 72B is pivotally fixed to the housing 71B by a hinge or the like. In addition, a locking mechanism (not shown) for keeping the cover 72B closed is provided on the cover 72B.

[0034] The battery pack 80 is a heavy object and is accommodated in the second battery accommodating portion 70B by a cargo handling and transport vehicle such as a forklift. To accurately position the battery pack 80, guide grooves 74B are formed on the inner bottom surface of the housing 71B. The forks of the forklift are inserted into the guide grooves 74B.

[0035] A connector 73B is disposed on the inner wall of the housing 71B in the vehicle width direction. The connector 73B extends outward in the vehicle width direction. The forklift is guided by the guide groove 74B, and when the battery pack 80 is housed in the correct position within the housing 71B, the connector 73B of the housing 71B is inserted into the inlet 81 of the battery pack 80.

[0036] Note that, due to the placement of the external charging inlet 60, the second battery housing 70B is positioned relatively further rearward in the vehicle front-to-rear direction than the first battery housing 70A. With this placement, as illustrated in FIG. 3 , the length of the wiring to the rotating electric machine 56 in the second battery housing 70B is relatively long. Also, the length of the wiring to the rotating electric machine 56 in the first battery housing 70A is relatively short. In other words, the wiring resistance from the second battery housing 70B to the rotating electric machine 56 is higher than the wiring resistance from the first battery housing 70A to the rotating electric machine 56.

[0037] The battery pack 80 is detachable from the electric vehicle 20. More specifically, the battery pack 80 is detachable from the first battery housing portion 70A and the second battery housing portion 70B. Because the first battery housing portion 70A and the second battery housing portion 70B have symmetrical structures and shapes, the shape of the battery pack 80 is limited to, for example, one type.

[0038] The battery pack 80 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A plurality of battery cells are housed inside the battery pack 80. Furthermore, an inlet 81 protrudes from the exposed surface of the battery pack 80. The inlet 81 can be connected to connectors 73A, 73B of the first battery housing portion 70A and the second battery housing portion 70B.

[0039] As will be described later, the battery pack 80 is designated either as a power supply source for the electric vehicle 20 or as a transported item to be delivered to another vehicle. The battery pack 80 designated as a power supply source supplies power to the fixed battery 55 and to on-board electrical equipment such as the rotating electric machine 56. On the other hand, the battery pack 80 designated as a transported item is housed in the first battery housing 70A or the second battery housing 70B, but the first switch 92A (see FIG. 3) or the second switch 92B is set to the off state. This reduces the power consumption of the battery pack 80 designated as a transported item.

[0040] In this way, the first battery housing section 70A and the second battery housing section 70B can house the battery packs 80 as transported goods. In other words, it is possible to place luggage in the space outside the luggage compartment 35 (see FIG. 1). This increases the storage volume of the electric vehicle 20.

[0041] For example, a delivery route for the electric vehicle 20 is determined. Furthermore, the weight of the cargo to be loaded on the electric vehicle 20 is calculated. From these settings and calculations, the amount of power consumption [kWh] required for the delivery work of the electric vehicle 20 is calculated. For example, there are cases where the power required for the delivery work can be covered by the fixed battery 55 and one battery pack 80. In such a case, the other battery pack 80 is accommodated in the first battery accommodation section 70A or the second battery accommodation section 70B as a transported item. The battery pack 80 as a transported item is transported to another electric vehicle 20 that is parked at a collection point or the like.

[0042] 3. Electrical Circuits The electric vehicle 20 includes an electric circuit 95 as shown in Fig. 3. The electric circuit 95 includes the fixed battery 55, a first battery housing 70A, and a second battery housing 70B. The electric circuit 95 further includes a rotating electric machine 56. In other words, the electric circuit 95 can connect the fixed battery 55 and the plurality of battery packs 80 to the rotating electric machine.

[0043] 3, a battery pack 80 is housed in the first battery housing portion 70A and the second battery housing portion 70B. Furthermore, an inlet 81 of the battery pack 80 is connected to connectors 73A and 73B. The fixed battery 55, the first battery housing portion 70A, and the second battery housing portion 70B are connected in parallel to an on-vehicle electrical device (load) such as a rotating electrical machine 56.

[0044] The electric circuit 95 includes a switch box 90. The switch box 90 includes a main switch 91, a first switch 92A, and a second switch 92B. The main switch 91 is connected to the fixed battery 55. The first switch 92A is connected to the first battery receptacle 70A. The second switch 92B is connected to the second battery receptacle 70B. The main switch 91, the first switch 92A, and the second switch 92B can switch between conducting and cutting off the fixed battery 55 and the battery pack 80.

[0045] A step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 57 and an inverter 58 are provided between the switch box 90 and the rotating electric machine 56. The DC power output from the fixed battery 55 and the battery pack 80 designated as the power supply battery is stepped up by the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 57. The stepped-up power is then subjected to DC-to-DC conversion by the inverter 58.

[0046] An inverter 85, a charger / discharger 61, and a step-down DC / DC converter 87 are connected in parallel to the wiring from the switch box 90 to the rotating electric machine 56. The inverter 85 is connected to a compressor 86 of the air conditioner. The charger / discharger 61 is connected to the external charging inlet 60. The step-down DC / DC converter 87 is further connected to accessories 88. The accessories 88 include, for example, a touch panel 65 (input unit) and audio equipment.

[0047] The touch panel 65 is disposed, for example, on an instrument panel inside the vehicle. A transparent conductive film is laminated on the display portion of the touch panel 65. The transparent conductive film serves as the input portion. For example, the touch panel 65 displays whether the first battery housing portion 70A and the second battery housing portion 70B contain battery packs 80. Furthermore, the inputter can select the use of the battery packs 80 contained in the first battery housing portion 70A and the second battery housing portion 70B from the touch panel 65. The use of the battery pack 80 includes two types: a power supply battery and transported goods. In other words, the inputter, such as the driver, can use the touch panel 65 (input portion) to specify whether the battery pack 80 is a power supply battery or transported goods.

[0048] 4. Control System 3, the devices of the electric circuit 95 are controlled by an electronic control unit (ECU). As illustrated in FIG. 3, the electric vehicle 20 is provided with a plurality of ECUs for different functions. For example, the electric vehicle 20 includes a battery ECU 100, an air conditioning ECU 102, an accessory ECU 103, and a motor ECU 104.

[0049] The battery ECU 100 manages and controls the charge / discharge state, temperature, etc. of the fixed battery 55 and the battery pack 80. The battery ECU 100 also controls the on / off of the main switch 91, first switch 92A, and second switch 92B of the switch box 90.

[0050] The air conditioning ECU 102 controls the rotation speed and torque of the compressor 86. The air conditioning ECU 102 also controls the rotation speed of a blower (not shown) provided in the air conditioning system.

[0051] The auxiliary ECU 103 controls the auxiliary devices 88. For example, the auxiliary ECU 103 controls the display content of the touch panel 65. The auxiliary ECU 103 also receives the content input from the touch panel 65.

[0052] The motor ECU 104 controls the driving of the rotating electric machine 56 through control of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 57 and the inverter 58. For example, the rotation speed [rpm] of the rotating electric machine 56 is measured by a rotation speed sensor 89. The motor ECU 104 generates command values ​​for the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 57 and the inverter 58 based on the measured actual rotation speed, the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal by the driver, etc.

[0053] A BEV-ECU 101 is provided in the electric circuit 95 as a host ECU that integrates the above-mentioned functional ECUs. The BEV-ECU 101 is also called a central gateway ECU. The above-mentioned functional ECUs and the BEV-ECU 101 are connected by signal lines that comply with the CAN (Controller Area Network) standard, for example.

[0054] The battery ECU 100, the BEV-ECU 101, the air conditioning ECU 102, the accessory ECU 103, and the motor ECU 104 are each configured as a computer as shown in Fig. 4. The computer includes an input / output controller 15, a CPU 11, a RAM 12, a ROM 13, and a storage 14. These devices can communicate with each other via an internal bus.

[0055] The CPU 11 is a central processing unit, also called a processor. The RAM 12 is a volatile storage device that temporarily stores data during operation. The ROM 13 is a storage device that can read data. The storage 14 is a storage device that can write and read data. The storage 14 is configured, for example, from an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0056] 3 are configured in the battery ECU 100 and the BEV-ECU 101 by the CPU 11 (processor) executing the programs stored in the ROM 13 or the storage 14. That is, the battery ECU 100 includes a switch control unit 100A. The BEV-ECU 101 includes a power limit determination unit 101A.

[0057] Here, the CPU 11 of the battery ECU 100 may be called a first processor. The first processor executes various processes as a switch control unit 100A. The CPU 11 of the BEV-ECU 101 may be called a second processor. The second processor executes various processes as a power limit determination unit 101A. The power limit determination unit 101A controls the power consumption of in-vehicle electrical devices, as described below.

[0058] The switch control unit 100A controls the on / off of the main switch 91, first switch 92A, and second switch 92B of the switch box 90. Specifically, the switch control unit 100A sets at least one of the first switch 92A and second switch 92B corresponding to the battery pack 80 designated as the power supply battery to the on state. Also, the switch control unit 100A sets at least one of the first switch 92A and second switch 92B corresponding to the battery pack 80 designated as the transported item to the off state.

[0059] For example, the driver of the electric vehicle 20 operates the touch panel 65 to designate the battery pack 80 accommodated in the second battery accommodation unit 70B as the transported item. At this time, the switch control unit 100A sets the second switch 92B to the OFF state.

[0060] Also, for example, the driver of the electric vehicle 20 operates the touch panel 65 to designate the battery pack 80 housed in the first battery housing 70A as the power supply battery. At this time, the switch control unit 100A sets the first switch 92A to the on state.

[0061] In the process of specifying the power supply battery and the goods to be transported, the power supply battery may be set as the initial value. In other words, the operation of the touch panel 65 is an operation to switch the battery pack 80 specified as the power supply battery to the goods to be transported.

[0062] As described above, the length of the wiring from the first battery housing 70A to the rotating electric machine 56 is shorter than the length of the wiring from the second battery housing 70B to the rotating electric machine 56. Therefore, taking the wiring resistance into consideration, by housing the battery pack 80 for supplying power in the first battery housing 70A, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the battery pack 80. For this reason, the switch control unit 100A executes the transported goods battery designation flow illustrated in FIG.

[0063] 5. Battery transport designation flow When the battery pack 80 accommodated in the second battery receptacle 70B is not designated as an article to be transported, the battery pack 80 accommodated in the first battery receptacle 70A may be designated as an article to be transported. In such a case, the switch control unit 100A (first processor) executes the flow illustrated in FIG. 5 to designate the battery pack 80 accommodated in the second battery receptacle 70B as an article to be transported.

[0064] When the battery pack 80 housed in the first battery housing portion 70A is designated as an article by operating the touch panel 65 (input portion), the article battery designation flow shown in FIG. 5 is started.

[0065] In the following description, the battery pack 80 housed in the first battery housing portion 70A will be referred to as a sub-battery 1. The battery pack 80 housed in the second battery housing portion 70B will be referred to as a sub-battery 2.

[0066] The switch control unit 100A determines whether the sub-battery 2 is designated as an item to be transported (S10). For example, the switch control unit 100A acquires the operation history of the touch panel 65 from the auxiliary ECU 103 and checks the history of designation of the item to be transported.

[0067] If the sub-battery 2 has already been designated as an item to be transported, the switch control unit 100A designates the sub-battery 1 as an item to be transported, in accordance with the operation of the touch panel 65 at the time of starting the flow in Fig. 5. That is, the switch control unit 100A sets the first switch 92A to the OFF state (S12).

[0068] If the sub-battery 2 is not specified as an item to be transported, the switch control unit 100A checks whether the sub-battery 2 is present (S14). For example, the switch control unit 100A switches the second switch 92B on and off. The switch control unit 100A also monitors the voltage change on the primary side of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter at this time. If a change in the voltage on the primary side occurs when the second switch 92B is switched on and off, the switch control unit 100A determines that the sub-battery 2 is present. If the voltage on the primary side remains constant when the second switch 92B is switched on and off, the switch control unit 100A determines that the sub-battery 2 is not present.

[0069] If it is determined in step S14 that the sub-battery 2 is not present, the switch control unit 100A designates the sub-battery 1 as the item to be transported, in accordance with the operation of the touch panel 65 at the time of starting the flow in Fig. 5. That is, the switch control unit 100A sets the first switch 92A to the OFF state (S12).

[0070] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the sub-battery 2 is present, the determination result in step S10 indicates that the sub-battery 2 is not designated as an item to be transported. In other words, the sub-battery 2 is designated as a power supply battery. Therefore, the switch control unit designates the sub-battery 2 as an item to be transported, regardless of the operation content of the touch panel 65. In other words, the switch control unit 100A sets the second switch 92B to the OFF state (S16). By executing this flow, the sub-battery 2 is preferentially designated as an item to be transported.

[0071] 6. Maximum power setting flow Batteries for supplying power to the electric vehicle 20 are divided into three types: (1) only the fixed battery 55, (2) the fixed battery 55 and one battery pack 80, and (3) the fixed battery 55 and two battery packs 80. The power limit determination unit 101A of the BEV-ECU 101 changes the power control to the load of the electric vehicle 20 depending on the type (1) to (3).

[0072] Specifically, in accordance with the above aspects (1) to (3), the power limit determination unit 101A changes the maximum value Wout of the total power consumption of the electric vehicle 20. In other words, the power limit determination unit 101A (second processor) sets the sum of the rated output of the fixed battery 55 and the rated output of the battery pack 80 designated as the power supply battery as the maximum value (upper limit) of the total power consumption.

[0073] Referring to Fig. 6, the power limit determination unit 101A determines whether or not the sub-battery 1 is present (S20). This determination process is similar to the process of step S14 in Fig. 5. If the sub-battery 1 is present, the power limit determination unit 101A determines whether or not the sub-battery 1 is designated as an item to be transported (S22).

[0074] Furthermore, if sub-battery 1 is not designated as an item to be transported (i.e., if it is designated as a power supply battery), power limit determination unit 101A determines whether sub-battery 2 is present (S24). If sub-battery 2 is present, power limit determination unit 101A determines whether sub-battery 2 is designated as an item to be transported (S26).

[0075] If sub-battery 2 is not designated as an item to be transported (i.e., if it is designated as a power supply battery), sub-battery 1 and sub-battery 2 can be used as power supply batteries in addition to fixed battery 55. Therefore, power limit determination unit 101A sets the maximum value Wout of total power consumption to the value (Wm+2Ws) obtained by adding the sum of the rated outputs of sub-batteries 1 and 2, 2Ws, to the rated output Wm of fixed battery 55 (S28).

[0076] If the sub-battery 2 is not present in step S24, or if the sub-battery 2 is designated as an item to be transported in step S26, power is supplied to the electric vehicle 20 from the fixed battery 55 and the sub-battery 1. In this case, the power limit determination unit 101A sets the maximum value Wout of the total power consumption to the value (Wm+Ws) obtained by adding the rated output Wm of the fixed battery 55 to the rated output Ws of the sub-battery 1 (S30).

[0077] If sub-battery 1 is not present in step S20, or if sub-battery 1 is designated as a transport item in step S22, the power limit determination unit 101A determines whether sub-battery 2 is present (S32). If sub-battery 2 is present, the power limit determination unit 101A determines whether sub-battery 2 is designated as a transport item (S34). If sub-battery 2 is not designated as a transport item, the power limit determination unit 101A sets the maximum total power consumption Wout to the value (Wm+Ws) obtained by adding the rated output Wm of fixed battery 55 to the rated output Ws of sub-battery 2 (S36).

[0078] If the sub-battery 2 is not present in step S32, or if the sub-battery 2 is designated as an item to be transported in step S34, power is supplied to the electric vehicle 20 only from the fixed battery 55. The power limit determination unit 101A sets the rated output Wm of the fixed battery 55 as the maximum value Wout of the total power consumption (S38).

[0079] In this way, by setting the maximum value Wout according to the number of batteries that can be used for power supply purposes, deterioration of the fixed battery 55 and the battery pack 80 can be suppressed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 20 electric vehicle, 50 chassis, 55 fixed battery, 56 rotating electric machine, 65 touch panel (input unit), 70A first battery storage section, 70B second battery storage section, 71B housing, 74B guide groove, 80 battery pack, 90 switch box, 91 main switch, 92A first switch, 92B second switch, 95 electric circuit, 100 battery ECU, 100A switch control section (first processor), 101 BEV-ECU, 101A power limit determination section (second processor), 102 air conditioning ECU, 103 auxiliary ECU, 104 motor ECU.

Claims

1. a rotating electric machine that is a drive source; a plurality of battery housings each detachably mounting a battery pack; an electric circuit capable of connecting the plurality of battery packs and the rotating electric machine; An electric vehicle comprising: the electric circuit connects the plurality of battery packs in parallel and includes a plurality of switches capable of switching between conduction and interruption of each of the battery packs; Further, a first processor that controls the on / off of the plurality of switches is provided, the first processor sets the switch to an ON state for the battery pack designated as a power supply battery, and sets the switch to an OFF state for the battery pack designated as a transported item; Electric car.

2. 10. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, an input unit capable of specifying either a power supply battery or a transported item for the battery pack; the battery housing includes a first battery housing in which a wiring length to the rotating electric machine is relatively short, and a second battery housing in which a wiring length to the rotating electric machine is relatively long, When the battery pack accommodated in the second battery accommodating section has not been designated as an article to be transported, if an operation to designate the battery pack accommodated in the first battery accommodating section as an article to be transported is performed from the input section, the first processor designates the battery pack accommodated in the second battery accommodating section as an article to be transported. Electric car.

3. 10. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, a fixed battery fixed to the vehicle body; a second processor for controlling power consumption of in-vehicle electrical equipment; Equipped with the second processor sets the sum of the rated output of the fixed battery and the rated output of the battery pack designated as a power supply battery as the maximum value of total power consumption; Electric car.

4. 10. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, the battery accommodating section includes a housing that accommodates the battery pack, The electric vehicle has a guide groove formed on the inner bottom surface of the housing, into which the forks of a forklift are inserted.

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