Vehicle drive system

Abstract

To make it possible to discharge residual electric charge in a motor device more certainly before a foreman starts work at rescue time after collision.SOLUTION: In a vehicle drive system, a first ECU controls a relay so that electrical connection between a battery and a motor device is interrupted in at least one of when receiving a collision detection signal and when an interlock line is broken. The motor device contains an electric motor for traveling, a PCU, a second ECU and a back-up power source. The PCU contains one or a plurality of condensers. The second ECU starts by electrical power supplied from the back-up power source starting accompanying to breaking of wire when the interlock line is broken. And then, the second ECU controls the PCU so as to perform discharge control which discharges residual electrical charge of one or the plurality of condensers on condition that a discharge command to discharge the residual electrical charge is not received from the first ECU or it is determined that collision occurs.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle drive system applied to an electric vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric vehicle. This electric vehicle includes a power control unit (PCU) that controls the power supplied to a driving electric motor, and an electronic control unit (MG-ECU) that controls the PCU. The PCU includes a converter, an inverter, and first and second capacitors. When this electronic control unit receives a collision detection signal from a collision detection sensor, it executes discharge control to control the converter or the inverter so as to discharge the charges of the first and second capacitors.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to the technique described in Patent Document 1 above, when a collision of an electric vehicle is detected, by discharging the residual charge inside the power control unit included in the motor device, it is possible to make the state such that the residual charge is removed during rescue after the collision. On the other hand, for example, when the electronic control unit that executes the above discharge control cannot receive a collision detection signal due to the influence of the collision, the electronic control unit cannot execute the discharge control at the time of the collision. As a result, when an operator starts work during rescue after the collision, the residual charge remains in the motor device.

[0005] This disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned issues and aims to provide a vehicle drive system that can more reliably discharge residual charge in the motor device before personnel begin work during post-collision rescue. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle drive system according to this disclosure comprises a battery, a motor unit, a relay, and a first electronic control unit. The motor unit is connected to the battery. The relay switches the electrical connection between the battery and the motor unit. The first electronic control unit controls the relay to disconnect the electrical connection in at least one of the following cases: when it receives a collision detection signal for detecting a collision of an electric vehicle, and when an interlock wire, which is disconnected by an attendant to cut off the power supply from the battery to the motor unit, is disconnected. The motor unit includes a traction motor, a power control unit, a second electronic control unit, and a backup power supply. The power control unit includes one or more capacitors and controls the power supplied from the battery to the traction motor. The second electronic control unit controls the power control unit. When the interlock wire is disconnected, the second electronic control unit is started by power supplied from the backup power supply, which is activated in response to the disconnection. The second electronic control unit then controls the power control unit to perform discharge control to discharge residual charge, provided that it has not received a discharge command from the first electronic control unit to discharge the residual charge of one or more capacitors, or that it has been determined that a collision has occurred.

[0007] The interlock wire may have a service plug that can be removed by an attendant in case of a break in the wire, or a cut section that can be cut by an attendant.

[0008] The interlock wire may be located within the powertrain compartment that houses the powertrain, including the motor unit.

[0009] The vehicle drive system may further include a voltage sensor that detects the residual voltage of one or more capacitors. The second electronic control unit does not need to perform discharge control if the residual voltage is below a threshold.

[0010] The vehicle drive system may further include a voltage sensor for detecting the residual voltage of one or more capacitors. The electric vehicle may also include a notification device. The second electronic control unit may control the notification device to notify that the residual charge has been removed when the residual voltage is below a threshold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to this disclosure, when an interlock wire is disconnected during a rescue operation, it becomes possible to use a backup power supply to more reliably discharge any residual charge in the motor device before the operator begins work. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle drive system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows an example of the operation flow during rescue according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows another example of the operation flow during rescue according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Elements common to each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0014] 1. System Configuration Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle drive system 10 according to an embodiment. The vehicle drive system 10 shown in Figure 1 is applied to an electric vehicle. An electric vehicle is, for example, a battery electric vehicle (BEV). However, the electric vehicle to which the "vehicle drive system" according to this disclosure is applied may be, for example, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV).

[0015] The vehicle drive system 10 drives an electric vehicle. The vehicle drive system 10 comprises a battery 12, a motor device 14, a system main relay (SMR) 16, and a first electronic control unit (first ECU) 18.

[0016] Battery 12 stores power for the operation of the electric vehicle. Battery 12 is connected to the motor unit 14 via SMR 16. SMR 16 (corresponding to the “relay” in this disclosure) switches the electrical connection / disconnection between battery 12 and motor unit 14. More specifically, SMR 16 is interposed between battery 12 and the PCU 22 described later.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the motor device 14 includes an electric motor 20, a power control unit (PCU) 22, a second electronic control unit (second ECU) 24, and a backup power supply 26.

[0018] The electric motor 20 drives the electric vehicle using power supplied from the battery 12. The PCU 22 controls the power supplied from the battery 12 to the electric motor 20. More specifically, the PCU 22 includes an inverter 28, a converter 30, and capacitors 32 and 34.

[0019] The inverter 28 includes a plurality of switching elements, converts the DC power of the battery 12 supplied via the converter 30 into three-phase AC power, and supplies it to the electric motor 20. The converter (DC / DC converter) 30 includes, for example, a reactor and two switching elements, boosts the voltage of the battery 12, and supplies it to the inverter 28. The capacitor 32 is connected in parallel between the battery 12 and the converter 30, and smoothes the DC voltage supplied from the battery 12. The capacitor 34 is connected in parallel between the converter 30 and the inverter 28, and smoothes the DC voltage boosted by the converter 30. Note that the number of capacitors included in the "power control unit" according to the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

[0020] Further, the vehicle drive system 10 includes an interlock wire 50. The interlock wire 50 is disconnected by an attendant who requests interruption of the power supply from the battery 12 to the motor device 14. Disconnection of the interlock wire 50 by the attendant is performed during inspection or maintenance of the electric vehicle, or during rescue after a collision. The interlock wire 50 is configured such that, for example, the voltage level of the interlock signal input to each of the first ECU 18 and the second ECU 24 changes according to the presence or absence of disconnection of the interlock wire 50.

[0021] In order to enable disconnection by the attendant, the interlock wire 50 has, for example, a service plug 52. More specifically, the service plug 52 is detachably provided with respect to a connector portion 52a disposed on the interlock wire 50. When the service plug 52 is removed by the attendant, the interlock wire 50 is in a disconnected state. Alternatively, the interlock wire may have a cutting portion that is cut by an attendant using a tool instead of the service plug 52. The cutting portion may be set, for example, at the same position as the portion where the service plug 52 is illustrated in FIG. 1. By having the service plug 52 or the cutting portion, the attendant can easily disconnect the interlock wire 50 during rescue.

[0022] More specifically, in the example shown in Figure 1, the interlock wire 50 branches off from the auxiliary battery 36 after passing through resistor 54 and service plug 52. One branch after branching goes to the ground point via resistor 56. The other branch after branching goes to the ground point via resistor 58. Resistors 54 and 56 are located in the first ECU 18, and resistor 58 is located in the second ECU 24. The auxiliary battery 36 is, for example, a 12V DC power supply.

[0023] Furthermore, the location of the interlock wire 50 is not limited in a broad sense, and may be, for example, inside the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle. In this embodiment, however, the interlock wire 50 is located inside the powertrain compartment. The powertrain compartment is separated from the passenger compartment and houses the powertrain of the electric vehicle, including the motor unit 14. More specifically, at least the service plug 52 (or cut portion) of the interlock wire 50 is located inside the powertrain compartment. This allows personnel to easily disconnect the interlock wire 50 in the event of a rescue.

[0024] The first ECU18 and the second ECU24, as well as the airbag ECU38 and meter ECU72 described later, are powered by an auxiliary battery 36. These ECUs 18, 24, 38, and 72 are connected to each other via an in-vehicle network such as CAN (Controller Area Network) to enable communication.

[0025] The first ECU 18 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 18a and determines the target torque of the electric motor 20 based on information such as the amount the accelerator pedal is pressed and the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle, and sends a command to the second ECU 24.

[0026] Furthermore, the first ECU 18 includes a monitor circuit 18b that monitors the collision detection signal. The collision detection signal is transmitted to the first ECU 18, for example, from the airbag ECU 38, which controls the operation of the airbags. More specifically, the airbag ECU 38 transmits a collision detection signal when it detects a collision of the electric vehicle using the collision detection sensor 40.

[0027] Furthermore, the first ECU 18 includes a monitor circuit 18c that monitors the interlock signal transmitted by the interlock line 50. The monitor circuit 18c detects whether or not the interlock line 50 is broken, based on the interlock signal whose voltage level changes depending on whether or not the interlock line 50 is broken.

[0028] The second ECU 24 includes a CPU 24a and controls the PCU 22 so that the target torque commanded by the first ECU 18 is achieved. More specifically, the second ECU 24 generates pulse signals to be transmitted to the inverter 28 and converter 30 based on the target torque and controls the on / off state of the switching elements of the inverter 28 and converter 30 by the PCU 22.

[0029] Furthermore, the aforementioned collision detection signal is also transmitted, for example, from the airbag ECU 38 to the second ECU 24. For this reason, similar to the first ECU 18, the second ECU 24 also includes a monitor circuit 24b that monitors the collision detection signal.

[0030] Furthermore, in the vehicle drive system 10 shown in Figure 1, the interlock wire 50 is also connected to the second ECU 24. Therefore, like the first ECU 18, the second ECU 24 also includes a monitor circuit 24c that monitors the interlock signal transmitted by the interlock wire 50. Thus, with the vehicle drive system 10, the break in the interlock wire 50 can be detected not only by the first ECU 18 but also by the second ECU 24. This leads to improved robustness regarding the discharge of residual charge from capacitors 32 and 34, which will be described later.

[0031] The backup power supply 26 is, for example, a backup capacitor, built into the motor unit 14, and configured to supply power to the second ECU 24. More specifically, while the vehicle drive system 10 is running, the backup power supply 26 is constantly charged by power supplied from the auxiliary battery 36. The backup power supply 26 is configured to start when a break in the interlock wire 50 is detected by the monitoring circuit of the second ECU 24. Therefore, in the event of the above-mentioned break, even if the power supply from the auxiliary battery 36 to the second ECU 24 is interrupted due to a collision of the electric vehicle, the second ECU 24 can start up with power supplied from the backup power supply 26. In addition, the backup power supply 26 can store the power necessary for the second ECU 24 to have the PCU 22 perform the "discharge control A" described later.

[0032] The vehicle drive system 10 also includes a voltage sensor 60. The voltage sensor 60 is connected in parallel between the SMR 16 and the capacitor 32 and detects the voltage of the battery 12. The voltage sensor 60 is, for example, built into the motor unit 14. When the SMR 16 is turned off (i.e., when the electrical connection between the battery 12 and the motor unit 14 (PCU 22) is interrupted), the second ECU 24 can use the output of the voltage sensor 60 to detect the residual voltage Vc of the capacitors 32 and 34.

[0033] The vehicle drive system 10 also includes a current sensor 62. The current sensor 62 detects the current of the battery 12. In the example shown in Figure 1, the current sensor 62 is located on a high-potential line between the SMR 16 and the battery 12, but it may also be located on a low-potential line between the SMR 16 and the battery 12, for example.

[0034] Furthermore, the electric vehicle to which the vehicle drive system 10 is applied includes a notification device 70 and an ECU (e.g., a meter ECU) 72 that controls the notification device 70. The notification device 70 can provide information to personnel during rescue operations following a collision of the electric vehicle. More specifically, the notification device 70 includes, for example, a display. The display is, for example, a meter panel mounted on the instrument panel of the electric vehicle. The notification device 70 may also include a speaker in place of, or in conjunction with, the display.

[0035] 2. System Operation 2-1. Actions during a collision The first ECU 18 turns off the SMR 16 when it receives a collision detection signal from the airbag ECU 38. That is, the first ECU 18 controls the SMR 16 so that the electrical connection between the battery 12 and the motor unit 14 is disconnected. As a result, the motor unit 14 (more specifically, the PCU 22) having capacitors 32 and 34 is electrically disconnected from the battery 12.

[0036] Furthermore, when the second ECU24 receives a collision detection signal from the airbag ECU38, it controls the PCU22 to perform "discharge control A". "Discharge control A" is performed to discharge the residual charge of capacitors 32 and 34.

[0037] Discharge control A is performed, for example, by controlling the inverter 28 or converter 30 included in the PCU 22. More specifically, the second ECU 24 can discharge residual charge by controlling each switching element of the inverter 28 to operate the electric motor 20 at a field angle such that power is consumed without generating torque in the electric motor 20. The second ECU 24 can also discharge residual charge in the capacitor 32 or 34 through the current path between the switched element and the reactor by, for example, turning on one of the two switching elements of the converter 30 and turning off the other.

[0038] Furthermore, the collision detection signal that triggers discharge control A may be transmitted from the airbag ECU 38 to the second ECU 24 via the first ECU 18, instead of being transmitted directly from the airbag ECU 38 to the second ECU 24.

[0039] 2-2. Issues related to discharge control A By executing the above-described discharge control A when a collision of an electric vehicle is detected, it is possible to ensure that there is no residual charge remaining in the motor unit 14 (PCU 22) when rescue is provided after the collision. However, discharge control A may not be able to be executed at the time of a collision due to the following factors. These factors include, for example, the inability to supply power from the auxiliary battery 36 to the second ECU 24 due to a broken wire caused by the collision. These factors also include, for example, the inability of the second ECU 24 to receive a collision detection signal due to factors caused by the collision. The inability of the second ECU 24 to receive a collision detection signal may occur, for example, due to damage to the airbag ECU 38, the inability to supply power from the auxiliary battery 36 to the airbag ECU 38 due to a broken wire, or the interruption of communication from the airbag ECU 38.

[0040] As described above, if discharge control A is not executed at the time of collision, residual charge will remain in the motor device 14 when personnel begin work during rescue operations after the collision.

[0041] 2-3. Actions during rescue In view of the above-mentioned problems, in this embodiment, if the interlock line 50 is disconnected, the second ECU 24 (more specifically, the CPU 24a) is configured to start up using power supplied from the backup power supply 26 that is activated in response to the disconnection. The second ECU 24 controls the PCU 22 to perform discharge control A, provided that it has not received a "discharge command" from the first ECU 18 to discharge the residual charge of capacitors 32 and 34.

[0042] In addition, if the interlock wire 50 is disconnected and the first ECU 18 is operational by power supply from the auxiliary battery 36, the first ECU 18 will perform the following process: that is, the first ECU 18 will turn off the SMR 16. With this process, even if the SMR 16 is not turned off at the time of the collision, it becomes possible to more reliably turn off the SMR 16 during rescue after the collision.

[0043] In this embodiment, the control by the first ECU 18 to turn off the SMR 16 is performed both when a collision detection signal is received and when the interlock wire 50 is disconnected. However, this control may be performed only when a collision detection signal is received or when the interlock wire 50 is disconnected.

[0044] Furthermore, the first ECU 18 transmits the above discharge command to the second ECU 24 if the interlock wire 50 is disconnected.

[0045] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation flow during rescue according to the embodiment. The operations shown in this flowchart are performed by a motor device 14 that is started independently within the vehicle drive system 10.

[0046] First, in step S100, the monitor circuit 24c included in the second ECU 24 determines whether or not the interlock wire 50 is broken. As already explained, the interlock wire 50 is broken when the service plug 52 is removed or when the cut portion is severed.

[0047] If the monitor circuit 24c detects a break in the interlock wire 50 in step S100, the backup power supply 26 is activated in step S102. As a result, the second ECU 24 (more specifically, the CPU 24a) is started up by the power supplied from the backup power supply 26.

[0048] Next, in step S104, the CPU 24a determines whether or not it has received a discharge command from the first ECU 18 to discharge the residual charge of capacitors 32 and 34. Specifically, the determination result in step S104 is positive, for example, if the second ECU 24 does not receive a discharge command within a predetermined time after the break in the interlock wire 50 is detected.

[0049] If a discharge command is received in step S104 (step S104; No), in step S106, the CPU 24a performs normal discharge control to discharge the residual charge from capacitors 32 and 34. This normal discharge control is the same as discharge control A described above, except that it uses the power of the normal auxiliary battery 36 instead of the power of the backup power supply 26. When the normal discharge control is completed, the operation shown in Figure 2 is completed. Note that even when the normal discharge control is completed, the notification in step S114, described later, may be performed.

[0050] On the other hand, if no discharge command is received in step S104 (step S104; Yes), in step S108, the CPU 24a detects the residual voltage Vc of capacitors 32 and 34 based on the output of the voltage sensor 60.

[0051] Next, in step S110, the CPU 24a determines whether the residual voltage Vc detected in step S108 is higher than a predetermined threshold TH. This threshold TH is, for example, the upper limit of the voltage at which a person will not be electrocuted if they touch the motor device 14 (for example, 60V DC voltage).

[0052] If the residual voltage Vc is higher than the threshold TH in step S110, in step S112, the second ECU24 (CPU24a) controls the PCU22 to perform the discharge control A described above. After that, the CPU24a returns to step S108 and detects the residual voltage Vc. As long as the residual voltage Vc detected in step S108 is higher than the threshold TH during the execution of discharge control A, the processes in steps S108 to S112 are repeatedly executed.

[0053] On the other hand, if the residual voltage Vc detected in step S108 during the execution of discharge control A falls below the threshold TH, the CPU 24a issues a notification via the notification device 70 in step S114. This notification is made to inform people around the electric vehicle (for example, rescue personnel) that the residual charge of the motor device 14 (more specifically, the PCU 22) has been removed. Next, in step S116, the CPU 24a turns off the backup power supply 26. This terminates discharge control A.

[0054] Furthermore, if the residual voltage Vc detected for the first time in step S108 after the detection of a break in the interlock wire 50 is below the threshold TH, the process proceeds to steps S114 and S116. In this case, it is determined that the execution of discharge control A is unnecessary, and discharge control A is not executed.

[0055] 3. Effects As explained above, according to this embodiment, if the interlock wire 50 is disconnected, the second ECU 24 in the motor device 14 is activated by power from the backup power supply 26 which is activated in response to the disconnection. The second ECU 24 then controls the PCU 22 to perform discharge control A, provided that it has not received a discharge command from the first ECU 18. In other words, according to this embodiment, the interlock signal that changes in response to the disconnection of the interlock wire 50 performed by an attendant during rescue is utilized, and discharge control A is performed by the motor device 14 alone (i.e., with a minimum system configuration) using power from the built-in backup power supply 26, even without a discharge command.

[0056] This allows for a more reliable discharge of residual charge in the motor unit 14 (PCU 22) before the start of operations by the personnel, even if, for example, the collision causes a power supply failure to the first ECU 18 or damage to the first ECU 18. This is triggered by the disconnection of the interlock wire 50 during rescue operations. Furthermore, by using the backup power supply 26, even if the normal power supply to the second ECU 24 (for example, power supply from the auxiliary battery 36) is interrupted due to the collision, discharge can be performed more reliably. As a result, personnel can perform rescue operations more safely after a collision.

[0057] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if the residual voltage Vc is below the threshold TH after the interlock wire 50 is disconnected, it is notified that the residual charge of the motor device 14 (more specifically, the PCU 22) has been removed. This allows personnel to easily understand that the residual charge has been removed during rescue operations.

[0058] 4. Other examples of actions taken during rescue Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation flow during rescue according to the embodiment. The operations shown in this flowchart are also performed by the motor device 14, which is started independently within the vehicle drive system 10. The differences between this flowchart and the flowchart shown in Figure 2 will be explained below.

[0059] In Figure 3, the process in step S200 is executed instead of step S102. In step S200, the second ECU 24 (CPU 24a) determines whether or not a collision has occurred in the electric vehicle (collision determination). This collision determination by the second ECU 24 can be performed, for example, by the method described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-007426. The outline of this method is as follows.

[0060] In other words, whether or not a collision has occurred is determined at the time of the collision based on a change in the output pattern of the current sensor 62 (in other words, the pattern of the current of the battery 12 detected by the current sensor 62). Specifically, when the second ECU 24 receives a collision detection signal directly from the airbag ECU 38 or via the first ECU 18, it changes the operation of the converter 30 included in the PCU 22. This change in operation corresponds to, for example, a change in the operating frequency of the switching element of the converter 30. When the operation of the converter 30 is changed in this way, the current sensor 62 detects a current pattern that is different from the current pattern when no collision has occurred. If the second ECU 24 detects a change from the normal current pattern to the current pattern when a collision has occurred using the current sensor 62, it performs the above collision determination, and if it does not detect such a change, it determines that no collision has occurred. The information indicating the result of the determination made at the time of the collision (more specifically, immediately after the collision) (i.e., whether or not a collision has been determined) is stored in the memory of the second ECU 24.

[0061] In Figure 3, if a collision is detected in step S200 when a collision occurs, the process proceeds to step S108. As a result, the motor device 14 independently performs discharge control A using the backup power supply 26. On the other hand, if no collision is detected, the process proceeds to step S106. As a result, when an operator stops the vehicle system, including the vehicle drive system 10, the normal discharge control is performed using the power of the auxiliary battery 36.

[0062] According to the rescue operation shown in Figure 3 described above, if the interlock wire 50 is disconnected, the second ECU 24 in the motor unit 14 is activated by power from the backup power supply 26, which is activated in response to the disconnection. The second ECU 24 then controls the PCU 22 to perform discharge control A, provided that the collision detection described above has been performed. In other words, the operation shown in Figure 3 also utilizes the interlock signal that changes in response to the disconnection of the interlock wire 50, which is performed by the personnel during rescue. The motor unit 14 itself, using power from the built-in backup power supply 26 (i.e., with a minimal system configuration), determines whether or not a collision has occurred, and if a collision has occurred, discharge control A is executed.

[0063] The operation shown in Figure 3 above yields the same effect as the operation shown in Figure 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10. Vehicle drive system 12 batteries 14 Motor device 16 System Main Relay (SMR) 18. First Electronic Control Unit (First ECU) 20 Electric motors 22 Power Control Unit (PCU) 24. Second Electronic Control Unit (Second ECU) 26 Backup power supply 28 Inverter 30 Converters 32, 34 Capacitors 36. Auxiliary batteries 38 Airbag ECU 40 Collision detection sensors 50 Interlock lines 52 Service Plug 60 Voltage Sensor 62 Current Sensor 70. Notification device 72 Meter ECU

Claims

1. A battery for driving an electric vehicle, A motor device connected to the aforementioned traction battery, A relay that switches the electrical connection / disconnection between the traction battery and the motor device, A first monitor circuit that detects whether or not an interlock wire is disconnected, which is disconnected by an employee to interrupt the power supply from the traction battery to the motor device, and a first electronic control unit that controls the relay so that the electrical connection is interrupted when the interlock wire is disconnected, Auxiliary battery and Equipped with, The motor device is Electric motor for propulsion, A power control unit comprising one or more capacitors, which controls the power supplied from the traction battery to the traction electric motor, A second electronic control unit that controls the power control unit includes a second monitor circuit that detects the presence or absence of the aforementioned disconnection, Backup power supply and Includes, If the second monitoring circuit detects the disconnection, the second electronic control unit will: It is started by power supplied from the backup power supply that is activated in response to the aforementioned disconnection. It is determined whether or not a discharge command to discharge the residual charge of the one or more capacitors has been received from the first electronic control unit within a predetermined time from the detection of the disconnection. If the discharge command is received within the predetermined time, the power control unit is controlled to perform discharge control to discharge the residual charge using the power of the auxiliary battery. If the discharge command is not received within the predetermined time, the power control unit is controlled to perform the discharge control using the backup power supply. Vehicle drive system.

2. The interlock wire has a service plug that is removed by the staff due to the breakage, or a cut portion that is cut by the staff. The vehicle drive system according to claim 1.

3. The interlock wire is located within the powertrain compartment that houses the powertrain, including the motor unit. The vehicle drive system according to claim 1.

4. The system further includes a voltage sensor for detecting the residual voltage of the one or more capacitors, The second electronic control unit does not perform the discharge control if the residual voltage is below the threshold. The vehicle drive system according to claim 1.

5. The system further includes a voltage sensor for detecting the residual voltage of the one or more capacitors, The electric vehicle includes a notification device, The second electronic control unit controls the notification device to notify that the residual charge has been removed when the residual voltage is below a threshold. The vehicle drive system according to claim 1.

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