Automotive plants with a small carbon footprint

Abstract

A plant (01) for manufacturing electric or hybrid vehicles, comprising at least one assembly space (10) for the vehicles on-site, in which no steel deformation operations are carried out, thereby substantially eliminating toxic emissions, chemical waste generation, sound pollution, vibrations, dust and water consumption, so that the plant (01) can be located near or within occupied areas.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [Corresponding Application] This application claims priority to an earlier application, No. PCT / IB2021 / 062291, filed on December 24, 2021, in the name of Softcar SA, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety into this application.

[0002] The present invention relates to the layout of an automotive plant with a low carbon footprint intended for the production of battery-powered vehicles, receiving already partially assembled subassemblies or modules. This plant has the particular feature of not including metal processing lines that generate noise, pollution and vibrations. This plant can therefore be located close to residential areas and can accommodate individuals who wish to buy, rent, refurbish, repair, refurbish or recycle their vehicles. The plant also includes several buildings, the buildings with the highest risk of accidents being separated from the rest of the infrastructure for safety and cost reasons. [Background technology]

[0003] [Prior art] Automobile assembly plants are huge, since they typically include metal processing lines several kilometers long that can lay down sheet metal, degrease it, oil it, pre-cut it by stamping parts (e.g. for body parts), degrease it again, weld it together, phosphating it, painting it by electrophoresis, and finally curing the paint.

[0004] Apart from the fact that the production of the steel itself and the rolling operations generate huge amounts of CO2, all the transformation operations mentioned above in this specification are highly polluting, with 35% of the steel plate wasted during the stamping process, the use of oil for pressing, the use of heavy solvents for degreasing, the use of phosphorus-containing agents for the phosphating process required for preparation for electrophoresis, the consumption of water in the rinsing process, the use of large amounts of energy in the drying / curing ovens, and the emission of gases in some of these operations. In addition to the emission of chemical waste and toxic substances, these plants also generate significant noise and vibrations, which makes for a difficult working environment.

[0005] Due to their size, they are very expensive to build, operate and maintain. Because of their size and the pollution they cause (noise, waste, emissions, vibrations), these plants must be far from populated areas, forcing manufacturers to transport the vehicles they produce from production centers to sales locations by additional means such as trucks or railroads (as opposed to the manufactured vehicles being able to move by their own means), thus generating additional grey energy pollution.

[0006] Metal processing lines generally prevent modularity, since the first element is the monocoque sheet metal chassis, the structure on which all other components are assembled. This method of mass-producing cars is based on the optimization of steel, and the process has been the same since 1932, making it widely available worldwide.

[0007] Battery-powered vehicles require the installation of a main battery, generally a lithium-ion battery. This is done on the assembly line, forcing the presence of said battery at the heart of the plant. Since these plants are generally designed for the manufacture of internal combustion engine vehicles, the batteries are installed on the existing production line by switching from the production of internal combustion engine vehicles to the production of electric or hybrid vehicles. In case of a fire, the flammable electrolytes of the batteries produce their own oxidizers, which cannot be extinguished. The fire spreads and quickly becomes uncontainable. As a result, a fire of just one battery on the assembly line can cause enormous damage, due to the intensity of the flames and the heat column exceeding 800 °C, reaching up to 8 m in height, which can affect the structure of the building. The fire continues until all the electrolyte is burned away.

[0008] If the lithium-ion battery element of an electric vehicle catches fire, pouring water on it will simply cool everything down, it will not put out the fire. This water used for cooling will be highly polluted. Its chemical load can even exceed the pollution limits for industrial wastewater. This water must therefore be treated before it is discharged into the drainage system.

[0009] Smoke from the fire forced the plant to completely evacuate and halt all production prior to decontamination. The smoke emitted during the cell fire contains large amounts of cobalt, nickel and manganese oxides and therefore must be decontaminated throughout the site before production can resume. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to improve the method and process for manufacturing vehicles and the means required for this purpose, in particular the plant.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to minimize or even eliminate carbon emissions during vehicle manufacturing.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to simplify the method of manufacturing vehicles and to locate manufacturing plants closer to customers in order to reduce the need for transportation, especially overland, of the vehicles manufactured at the manufacturing plants.

[0013] According to the non-limiting principles of the present invention, the following are preferred: 1) The vehicle must preferably include at least one main battery (electric, hybrid or other vehicle), it must be possible to install the battery in the vehicle, and the battery must be assembled in a separate building that will be sacrificed in case of fire. 2) The vehicle should contain almost no grey energy. To reduce grey energy and to recover materials at the end of life, the plant should preferably be built near or in a city. To be built in or near a city, the plant must achieve "zero" discharge and "zero" water pollution and the assembly center must necessarily be of small size. To get small size, metal processing lines must be removed from the manufacturing process and replaced by other processes, such as SKD process and rotational molding as described in this application. The method and plant should preferably integrate service, showroom, recycling of finished bodies, rebuilding, repair, and modification of bodies carrying propulsion chassis. To supply components by rail, the center should preferably be near the railroad tracks. The plant must be equipped with a component handover dock.

[0014] In accordance with the present invention, a new plant architecture and a new method of manufacturing vehicles have been developed based on a plant architecture that allows for this simplification and reduced emissions.

[0015] The principles of the invention, of the new plant architecture and of the method used are described herein below with reference to embodiments and exemplary drawings.

[0016] In an embodiment, the invention relates to a plant for manufacturing electric or hybrid vehicles, comprising at least one assembly space for assembling said vehicles on site, in which no steel deformation operations are carried out, thereby almost eliminating toxic emissions, production of chemical or other wastes, sound pollution, vibrations, odors, dust and water consumption, and therefore said plant can be located near or in a populated area, for example a city.

[0017] In an embodiment, the plant comprises at least one of the following elements on site: a showroom open to the public and intended for the purchase of vehicles; a conversion space intended for the repair of old vehicles to give them a second life; a recycling space intended for the recycling of components of vehicles at the end of their life; an ASS (After Sales Service) space intended for the repair of vehicles in circulation and the modification of elements of said vehicles; a battery building dedicated to the storage of main batteries and their installation in said vehicles and separated from the rest of the plant by one or more firebreaks.

[0018] In embodiments, the polymer bodies may be crushed in the recycling space of the plant.

[0019] In an embodiment, a plant may perform body modifications on vehicles in circulation in its ASS space.

[0020] In an embodiment, the plant can function in a semi-knock-down (SKD) system, where pre-assembled and pre-tested sub-assemblies arrive at the plant and are then assembled together in an assembly space to produce a finished vehicle. Assembly can be done by bolting or any other equivalent method.

[0021] In an embodiment, the plant is intended to assemble a vehicle comprising four modules: a front subframe module, a rear subframe module, a central platform chassis module and a body module. Naturally, this method of assembling a vehicle should not be considered a limitation on the invention, as other structures may be assembled in the plant.

[0022] In an embodiment, the body is made from a polymer and is produced on-site in an assembly building.

[0023] In an embodiment, the chassis modules arrive already partially or fully assembled and are assembled in an assembly building to form the chassis.

[0024] In an embodiment, the battery house is a basic building of small size and therefore low construction cost, and is configured to be quickly rebuilt or repaired at lower cost in case of an accident.

[0025] In an embodiment, the plant comprises at least one space dedicated to the construction of a battery tent separated from the rest of the plant by one or more firebreaks, said battery tent being usable to carry out work intended to be carried out in the battery building when the battery building is not in operation.

[0026] In an embodiment, the plant comprises at least one workshop building separated from the rest of the plant by one or more firebreaks and dedicated to adjustment operations, inspection operations, repair operations, ASS operations, modification operations, recycling operations or other operations on vehicles equipped with main batteries.

[0027] In an embodiment, the workshop building is a basic building of small size and therefore low construction cost, and is adapted to be quickly rebuilt or repaired in case of an accident at lower cost.

[0028] In an embodiment, the plant comprises at least one space dedicated to the construction of a temporary shelter, such as a workshop tent, separated from the rest of the plant by one or more firebreaks, said shelter being usable to carry out work intended to be carried out in the workshop building when the workshop building is not functional.

[0029] In an embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing vehicles, in particular battery powered vehicles, based on a plant layout as described in this application.

[0030] In an embodiment, a method for manufacturing a vehicle, in particular a battery-powered vehicle, comprises the following steps: - a step in which modules or parts of modules intended to form a vehicle are manufactured in dedicated decentralized plants; - transporting the modules or parts of the modules by non-polluting or low-polluting transport to a centralized assembly plant near the customer; - the vehicle elements are produced in said assembly plant; - the modules, their parts and the vehicle elements are assembled in dedicated areas of said assembly plant, where it is intended that some dedicated areas of the plant can be sacrificed, if necessary, to prevent a stop or reduction in production, and replaced by equivalent temporary or non-temporary areas; providing, within the same assembly plant, an area dedicated to sales, an area dedicated to repairs, an area dedicated to replacements, an area dedicated to maintenance, an area dedicated to modification, an area dedicated to dismantling, an area dedicated to recycling, and an area dedicated to the recovery of modules or parts of modules of existing or completed vehicles; Includes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] The invention and its advantages will become more clearly apparent in the details of embodiments given hereinafter, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1]FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an example of a vehicle that may be assembled at a plant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] [Component Reference Number] 01 Plant 10 Assembly Building 11. Assembly Line 12 Component Warehouse 12a Component delivery dock 13 Parts manufacturing 14. Showroom 15 Management Area 20 Battery Building 21 Main battery storage 22 Main battery installation 30 Workshop Building 31 Inspection and adjustment space 32 Recycling Space 33 Modified Space 34 ASS Space 35 Area including chargers 40 Battery Tent 50 Workshop Tent 60 Firebreak 61 Firebreak 62 Firebreak 63 Firebreak 64 Firebreak 65 Firebreak 70 vehicles 71 Front subframe module 72 Rear subframe module 73 Central Platform Chassis Module 74 Body Module

[0033] Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments of the Invention The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but may be modified using equivalent means to those described.Accordingly, the invention and its principles relate to both plant architectures and methods for manufacturing vehicles, in particular electric vehicles, but possibly hybrid vehicles (electric and gas / petrol / diesel / hydrogen, etc.).

[0034] Referring to the drawings, plant 01 includes an assembly building 10 where the majority of the assembly operations for battery powered vehicles (electric, hybrid or other vehicles containing at least one main battery) take place, a battery building 20 where the main batteries are stored and installed in the vehicles, and a workshop building 30 where various operations are carried out on the vehicles.

[0035] Said plant 01 can be used to assemble any type of battery powered vehicle (electric or hybrid). The plant 01 is particularly suitable for assembling a vehicle 70 as shown in Fig. 2 by a semi-knock-down (SKD) system / method. The SKD system / method consists in producing complete sub-assemblies or modules of a pre-assembled vehicle in an external plant, and then receiving said sub-assemblies in another plant and carrying out the final assembly of the modules.

[0036] Said vehicle 70 is shown by way of example in Fig. 2 to illustrate the production method of said plant 01 and comprises a front subframe module 71, a rear subframe module 72, a central platform chassis module 73 and a body module 74. A vehicle of this kind is described, for example, in WO 2017 / 109726. Naturally, the plant according to the invention can equally be used for vehicles other than those described in the publication.

[0037] According to a first embodiment, the chassis modules 71, 72, 73 are preferably all manufactured and assembled in an external plant and then transported to the plant 01 where they are received at the component delivery dock 12a and then stored in the component warehouse 12. According to another embodiment, subassemblies of the chassis modules 71, 72, 73 may be manufactured and assembled in an external plant and then transported to the plant 01 where they are received at the component delivery dock 12a and then stored in the component warehouse 12. The subassemblies are then assembled in the plant 01, for example by bolting them together to form the chassis modules 71, 72, 73, or by some other equivalent method. The chassis modules 71, 72, 73 are then transferred to the assembly line 11 where they are assembled to produce the complete vehicle chassis 70. This allows for the optimization of how and where each module or subassembly is manufactured, as well as the production of modules or subassemblies that can be easily transported by low-pollution means, such as by rail (e.g. standardized shapes, optimized storage by stacking them, etc.).

[0038] In the method and architecture according to the present invention, by not producing parts of the chassis modules 71, 72, 73 in the plant 01, the investment required to set up the plant is reduced (fewer machines are required) and the assembly line 11 can be made shorter as fewer components are assembled (thus reducing the size of the plant 01 and the investment to set up the plant 01).

[0039] In the method and architecture according to the invention, only the polymer parts, e.g. the parts of the body 74, are produced by rotational moulding in the assembly building 10. This production takes place in the part manufacturing zone 13 of the plant 01. If the body 74, which has large dimensions, is produced externally and transported to the plant 01, the transport causes high pollution. Therefore, parts produced locally in the plant 01 are advantageous for parts of large size that are difficult to stack, the transport of which would cause high consumption of grey energy. For example, the raw materials for forming the body, which in the case of this part can be easily transported, e.g. in stacks and / or in rail cars, are preferably delivered to the warehouse 12.

[0040] The production of the body 74 made from polymer in the plant 01 does not cause noise, waste, harmful emissions or additional vibrations. In contrast to conventional stamped bodies, where 35% of the sheet metal is wasted, here all the material placed in the mould is used to mould the polymer part and nothing is wasted. The polymer parts produced on site are dyed. Therefore no painting operations are required. After production, the body 74 and other polymer parts produced on site are transported to the assembly line 11 and attached to the chassis of the vehicle 70.

[0041] In the architecture of the plant 01 as described, no steel parts are produced or transformed according to the method according to the invention. Thus, unlike conventional plants, the plant 01 does not contain degreasing tanks, water washing tanks, phosphating tanks, rinsing tanks, water-soluble paint tanks for electrophoresis, ovens for polymerization of paints, or metal processing lines. Only a few machines for transformation of polymers are in the part manufacturing zone 13 of the plant 01. This results in a significant reduction in the size of the plant 01, the noise and vibrations generated by the production, the emissions of harmful substances, the generation of chemical wastes such as solvents, and the consumption of water in the various tanks, besides the risk of contamination resulting from the presence of these materials.

[0042] The working environment in the plant 01 is more comfortable (less noise, vibrations and unpleasant odors) and less hazardous to health (no harmful products such as solvents). The near absence of noise, vibrations, harmful emissions and chemical waste in the assembly building 10 of the plant 01 allows the integration of other elements not directly involved in production in the assembly building 10, such as offices, canteens, break rooms or other suitable elements. Said elements can be located in the administration area 15 of the assembly building 10 of the plant 01.

[0043] Because the plant 01 is small in size and generates little or no pollution, it may be located near residential areas where customers are located, avoiding isolation from the city that would require additional transportation of the produced vehicles to the point of sale (such as a dealership) of the vehicles. This approach is more absurd in that the vehicles that are transported (especially by truck) across the board must be transported from the plant to the dealership, two locations that are in fact fully capable of moving under their own power but that are often not in the same country.

[0044] According to the method and architecture of the present invention, individuals can easily go directly to the plant and choose and purchase a new vehicle in the showroom 14, rent a vehicle from the modification space 33, have it repaired in the ASS space 34, place their end of life vehicle in the recycling space 32, or simply drop into the assembly building 10 as the environment is clean.

[0045] In the method and architecture according to the invention, the showroom 14 shows models of vehicles produced in the plant 01. The showroom 14, which receives external visitors coming to choose their future purchases, is integrated in the assembly building 01 with lower safety risks. The plant 01 with integrated showroom 14 located close to residential areas allows to reduce the number of sales points and thus the pollution caused by transporting the vehicles produced in the plant 01 to the various sales points. This principle is fundamental as it allows to significantly reduce the grey energy associated with the transport of finished vehicles.

[0046] In the method and architecture according to the invention, the ASS space 34 can be considered similar to an automobile repair shop. The ASS space 34 hosts individuals who own the model of the vehicle 70. These individuals can bring their vehicles here for various repair and / or maintenance work and / or body modifications. Because the vehicle 70 has a modular construction, the body 74 can be easily removed and replaced with another type of body or a body of a different color. Because the plant has all the parts that make the vehicle 70 on-site, the delay times for these works are reduced, and the carbon footprint of the vehicle 70 is reduced by avoiding the need to transport spare parts from the plant to various repair shops and dealerships.

[0047] In the method and architecture according to the invention, individuals can place their end-of-life vehicles in the recycling space 32. There, the end-of-life vehicles are disassembled and recycled. For example, polymer parts of the body 74 are crushed and the resulting material is transported to the part manufacturing zone 13 to be used in the manufacture of new body parts. Reusing this crushed material in the production of new parts reduces the environmental impact of the parts. Recycling operations of other vehicle parts are possible as well. The above is merely a non-limiting example. Parts that are still in a functional condition can be placed in the ASS space 34 or the conversion space 33 and replaced with defective parts of other vehicles.

[0048] The conversion space 33 receives vehicles that require refurbishment. Obsolete, worn or defective parts are replaced in the conversion space 33 with new ones or products from the recycling space 33 to give the vehicles a second life, after which the vehicles are offered to the used vehicle market or the short or long term rental market. By being able to give vehicles a second life, their carbon footprint is reduced.

[0049] All these processes, plant architectures and methods according to the invention contribute to a reduction in the grey energy of the vehicle and, more broadly, its carbon footprint and that of the plant, lower harmful emissions, lower chemical waste, lower production waste, lower water consumption for production, limited transportation of vehicles, reduced transportation of spare parts to repair shops and dealerships, management of the second life of the vehicle, the same basic chassis being able to accept more than one body, recycling of end-of-life parts, bodies produced according to circular economy principles, as well as the integration of sales points into assembly centres.

[0050] These modular vehicles and production elements functioning in the SKD system are described as examples, the invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to other types of vehicles and other types of production systems and methods.

[0051] In said plant 01, in the method and architecture according to the invention, the distribution of workstations and tasks is made according to the level of danger. In the assembly of battery-powered vehicles, the storage, charging and handling of the main batteries represents a danger. Indeed, in case of fire, the flammable electrolytes in the batteries generate their own oxidizers, which cannot be extinguished. The fire spreads and quickly becomes uncontainable. As a result, a fire in just one battery in an assembly line can cause enormous damage, since the intensity of the flames and the heat columns exceeding 800°C, reaching up to 8 m in height, can affect the structure of the building.

[0052] The assembly building 10 is the largest building in the plant 01. It represents the most expensive investment and requires the largest amount of energy and materials for its construction. In order to protect the assembly building 10, according to the principles of the present invention, no main batteries are stored or handled in the assembly building 10. Thus, vehicles displayed in the showroom 14 do not include main batteries and vehicles leaving the assembly building 10 are not yet equipped with main batteries.

[0053] The workstations most at risk of fire are the workstation 21 for storing the batteries and the workstation 22 for installing the batteries. According to the method and architecture according to the invention, these two workstations are located in a battery building 20. Said battery building 20 is exclusively dedicated to these two workstations. It is therefore preferably small in size. This building 20 is also a victim in the event of a fire.

[0054] The workshop building 30 receives vehicles that have left the battery building 20 or that are already in circulation. Said vehicles are therefore already equipped with main batteries. In the method and architecture according to the invention, after batteries have been installed in the vehicle at the main battery installation station 22 in the battery building 20, the vehicle is moved to the inspection and adjustment space 31 of the workshop building 30 for testing the seals, adjusting the geometry of the running gear, testing the geometry of the running gear, carrying out inspections and reworking, these operations being mentioned as non-limiting examples. The vehicles with the installed batteries are charged in an area including a charger 35. The batteries are only partially charged before they are installed and when they are stored. The recycling space 32, the conversion space 33 and the ASS space 34 receive vehicles that are in circulation and therefore that have installed main batteries. These workstations therefore do not have to be located in the assembly building 10, where they must be protected from any risk related to the batteries. Nevertheless, the danger is lower than in the case of battery storage and installation operations. It is therefore appropriate to have another dedicated building 30. Building 30 also becomes a casualty during the fire.

[0055] The battery building 20 is separated from the assembly building 10 by a firebreak 60. The battery building 20 is separated from the workshop building 30 by a firebreak 61. The assembly building 10 is separated from the workshop building 30 by a firebreak 62. The width of the firebreak 60 and the firebreak 61 depends on the number of batteries stored in the battery building 20. The number of batteries affects the area of ​​a possible fire or explosion. The more batteries stored, the wider the firebreak must be. To prevent the spread of flames between buildings 10, 20 and 30 in case of a fire, the firebreaks 60, 61 and 62 do not contain any combustible material.

[0056] According to one non-limiting embodiment of the plant architecture and method, a passageway is provided within the firebreak 60 for moving the vehicles 70 between the assembly building 10 and the battery building 20. This passageway can be a road, a tunnel, a conveyor belt, a conveyor, or any other element capable of providing this movement function between the buildings 10 and 20. The above mentioned elements are mentioned as examples.

[0057] The invention is not limited thereto. These passages are preferably made only with non-combustible materials to prevent the spread of flames between the battery building 20 and the assembly building 10 in case of a fire. The same passages may be provided in the firebreak 61 for the movement of the vehicles 70 between the battery building 20 and the workshop building 30.

[0058] The risk of fire is low in the assembly building 10. In fact, the assembly building 10 houses workstations that have a low risk of causing a fire and is separated from the buildings 20 and 30 housing the batteries. The assembly building 10 therefore does not need to be fire-resistant, thus reducing its construction costs and its carbon footprint.

[0059] The battery building 20 and workshop building 30 also do not need to be fireproof. If a fire breaks out in one of the two buildings 20 and 30, it cannot spread to the other building because of the firebreaks 60, 61 and 62. For this reason, the battery building 20 and workshop building 30 have an architecture that is not particularly fireproof, and therefore have low construction costs and a small carbon footprint.

[0060] In case of a fire occurring in the battery building 20, the method and architecture according to the invention allows it to be extinguished by the plant 01 personnel and the production activities normally performed in the assembly building 10 and the workshop building 30 can be continued immediately the day after the incident. The activities normally performed in the battery building 20 can be performed in the battery tent 40 while waiting for the decontamination, repair and / or reconstruction of the battery building 20. The battery tent 40 is not constructed when the battery building 20 is operating normally. Nevertheless, the battery tent 40 can be constructed very quickly in case of a fire in the battery building 20. The space for constructing the battery tent 40 is preferably provided from the design stage of the plant. The battery tent 40 can have any structure (rigid or non-rigid, semi-rigid, etc.) that is easy to construct and dismantle, allowing the battery zone to function according to the principles of the invention.

[0061] In case of a fire in the workshop building 30, in the method and architecture according to the invention, it is extinguished by the plant 01 personnel and the production activities normally carried out in the assembly building 10 and the battery building 20 continue. The activities normally carried out in the workshop building 30 can be carried out in a workshop tent 50 pending the decontamination, repair and / or reconstruction of the workshop building 30. The workshop tent 50 is not constructed when the workshop building 30 is functioning normally. Nevertheless, the workshop tent 50 can be constructed very quickly in case of a fire in the workshop building 30. The space for constructing the workshop tent 50 is preferably provided at the design stage of the plant. The workshop tent 50 can have any structure (rigid or non-rigid, semi-rigid, etc.) that is easy to construct and dismantle, allowing the workshop to function according to the principles of the invention.

[0062] In the method and architecture according to the present invention, the battery building 20 is separated from the battery tent 40 by a firebreak 63 .

[0063] The battery tent 40 is separated from the workshop tent 50 by a firebreak 64. The workshop building 30 is separated from the workshop tent 50 by a firebreak 65. The widths of the fire break spaces 63, 64 and 65 depend on the number of batteries stored in the battery building 20 and the battery tent 40. The number of batteries affects the area of ​​possible fire or explosion. The more batteries stored, the wider the firebreak must be. To prevent the spread of flames between the buildings 20 and 30 and the tents 40 and 50 in the event of a fire, the firebreaks 63, 64 and 65 do not contain any combustible material.

[0064] Due to their small size and basic construction, the battery building 20 and workshop building 30 can be completely rebuilt or easily repaired in the event of an accident without undue delay and expense. Losses to be made up as a result of using the battery tent 40 or the workshop tent 50 are also limited.

[0065] According to one non-limiting embodiment of the method and plant architecture, multiple battery buildings 20 and / or multiple workshop buildings 30 may be added to a single assembly building 10.

[0066] As will be described in detail in the present application, the present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a vehicle, in particular a battery-powered vehicle, based on a plant layout as described herein above.

[0067] Generally speaking, the method comprises the steps of: the modules or parts of modules intended to form the vehicle are manufactured in dedicated decentralized plants, The modules or parts of modules are transported by non-polluting or low-polluting transport to a centralized assembly plant near the customer; For example, vehicle elements such as the body are produced in the assembly plant, The modules, parts of modules and vehicle elements are assembled in dedicated areas of the assembly plant, where some dedicated areas of the plant are intended to be sacrificed in case of problems and replaced by equivalent temporary or non-temporary areas in order to prevent a stop or reduction in production, Within the same assembly plant there are areas dedicated to sales, and / or areas dedicated to repairs, and / or areas dedicated to replacements, and / or areas dedicated to maintenance, and / or areas dedicated to modification, and / or areas dedicated to dismantling, and / or areas dedicated to recycling, and / or areas dedicated to the recovery of modules or parts of modules of existing vehicles or completed vehicles. This can be done by:

[0068] In the method and architecture according to the invention, some zones are designed from the beginning to be sacrificed, for example in case of fire or other similar cases. According to an embodiment of the invention, the areas intended to be sacrificed are in particular the main battery storage zone, the zone for mounting the main battery on a vehicle, and the zone for receiving a vehicle with a main battery already mounted thereon.

[0069] In the method and architecture according to the invention, the body and body parts (doors, hoods, hatches) are typically manufactured in the assembly plant from raw materials shipped, for example in powder or granule form, or from recycled raw materials consisting of powder or granules made from bodies removed from existing vehicles in the assembly plant, or from a mixture of these raw materials. This circular economy recycling principle allows for bodies and body parts (doors, hoods, hatches) with very low energy and CO2 emissions compared to new bodies.

[0070] The embodiments of the invention, in particular the architecture of the plant described in this application and the manufacturing method used, are described as illustrative examples and should not be considered as limitations on the invention. Other embodiments can for example use means equivalent to those described. The embodiments can furthermore be combined with each other depending on the circumstances, or means used in one mode can be used in the other mode. The concept of the invention is not limited to the manufacture of pure electric or hybrid vehicles, this concept can furthermore also be applied to the manufacture of vehicles with other single propulsion modes, such as internal combustion engine, hydrogen, gas, etc., subject to the adaptation of the architecture and methods. The principles of the invention and the plant described are not limited to automobiles as described in this application, but can also be applied to the manufacture of other objects that give rise to the same problems and risks.

Claims

1. A plant (01) for manufacturing electric or hybrid vehicles, the plant (01) comprising at least one assembly space (10) for assembling the vehicles on-site, in which no steel deformation operations are performed in the assembly space (10), thereby substantially eliminating toxic emissions, chemical or other waste generation, sound pollution, vibrations, odors, dust and water consumption, and thus allowing the plant (01) to be located near or within occupied areas.

2. 2. The plant (01) according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following elements at the site: a showroom (14) open to the public and intended for the purchase of vehicles; a conversion space (33) intended for the repair of old vehicles in order to give them a second life; a recycling space (32) intended for the recycling of components of vehicles at the end of their life; an ASS space (34) intended for the repair of vehicles in circulation and the modification of components of said vehicles; a battery building (20) dedicated to the storage of main batteries and the installation of main batteries in said vehicles, separated from the rest of the plant (01) by one or more firebreaks (60, 61).

3. 3. The plant (01) according to claim 2, wherein the polymer bodies are crushed in the recycling space (32).

4. 3. The plant (01) according to claim 2, wherein body modifications are carried out on vehicles in circulation in its ASS space (34).

5. 2. The plant (01) according to claim 1, which functions in a semi-knock-down (SKD) system, in which pre-assembled and pre-inspected sub-assemblies arrive at the plant (01), and the sub-assemblies are then assembled in the assembly space (10) to produce a finished vehicle.

6. 2. A plant (01) according to claim 1, intended to assemble a vehicle comprising four modules: a front subframe module (71), a rear subframe module (72), a central platform chassis module (73) and a body module (74).

7. 7. The plant (01) of claim 6, wherein the body (74) is made from a polymer and is produced on-site in the assembly building (10).

8. 8. The plant (01) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the chassis modules (71, 72, 73) arrive already partially or completely assembled and are assembled in the assembly building (10) to form a chassis.

9. 3. The plant (01) according to claim 2, wherein the battery building (20) is a basic building of small size and therefore low in construction cost and is configured to be quickly rebuilt or repaired at lower cost in case of an accident.

10. 2. The plant (01) of claim 1, comprising at least one space dedicated to the construction of a battery tent (40) separated from the rest of the plant (01) by one or more firebreaks (63, 64), the battery tent (40) being usable to carry out work intended to be carried out in the battery building (20) when the battery building (20) is not functional.

11. 2. The plant (01) according to claim 1, comprising at least one workshop building (30) separated from the rest of the plant (01) by one or more firebreaks (61, 63) and dedicated to adjustment work, inspection work, repair work, ASS work, modification work, recycling work or other work on vehicles equipped with main batteries.

12. 12. The plant (01) according to claim 11, wherein the workshop building (30) is a basic building of small size and therefore low in construction cost and is configured to be quickly rebuilt or repaired in case of an accident at lower cost.

13. 13. The plant (01) according to claim 11 or 12, comprising at least one space dedicated to the construction of a temporary shelter, such as a workshop tent (50), separated from the rest of the plant (01) by one or more firebreaks (64, 65), said shelter being usable for carrying out work intended to be carried out in the workshop building (30) when the workshop building (30) is not functional.

14. A method for manufacturing vehicles, in particular battery-powered vehicles, based on a plant layout as described in the present application or carried out by a plant according to claim 1.

15. Vehicles, in particular battery-powered vehicles, are subjected to the following process: - the modules or parts of modules intended to form the vehicle are manufactured in dedicated decentralized plants; - the modules or parts of the modules are transported by non-polluting or low-polluting means to a centralized assembly plant near the customer; - an element of the vehicle, such as a body, is produced in the assembly plant; The vehicle modules, parts and components thereof are assembled in dedicated areas of the assembly plant, and it is intended that some dedicated areas of the plant can be sacrificed in the event of problems and replaced by equivalent temporary or non-temporary areas in order to prevent a stoppage or reduction in production; Within the same assembly plant, there shall be an area dedicated to sales, an area dedicated to repairs, an area dedicated to replacements, an area dedicated to maintenance, an area dedicated to modifications, an area dedicated to dismantling, an area dedicated to recycling, and an area dedicated to the recovery of modules or parts of modules of existing vehicles or completed vehicles. A manufacturing method according to the present invention.

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