Electric Truck Drive Unit Layout for Common Chassis Packaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing costs of electric trucks with varying specifications are high due to complex layout variants and packaging processes, as they require different drive apparatus designs for different vehicle weights and cargo types.
Innovation Solution
An electric truck design featuring drive units on each wheel, a body frame casing with mounting frames and cross members, and body-connecting parts that allow a common drive apparatus to be used across different specifications, including a compact drive unit housing with a motor, reducer, and final gear, along with an air suspension and steering gear part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different drive apparatus designs are used for different vehicle specifications, then the vehicle performance is optimized for each specification, but the manufacturing cost increases due to complex layout variants and packaging processes
Solution Approach 1:
The drive apparatus is designed with universal components including a common motor, reducer, and final gear that can be applied across different vehicle specifications. The body frame casing with standardized mounting frame bodies and cross members allows the same drive apparatus to be installed in various truck configurations without requiring specification-specific design variants, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining adaptability to different vehicle types.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive apparatus is divided into modular segments including separate mounting frame bodies, cross members, and independently connectable drive units. This segmentation allows the same modular components to be reconfigured and assembled for different vehicle specifications through standardized connection interfaces, enabling cost-effective manufacturing across multiple vehicle types while maintaining optimization for each specification.
2Ease of manufacture
If a common drive apparatus is used for different vehicle specifications, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the wheelbase optimization for different vehicle types becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The body frame casing incorporates adjustable mounting positions for the drive units on the mounting frame bodies and cross members. This dynamic positioning capability allows the wheelbase to be adjusted for different vehicle types while using the same common drive apparatus, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing cost reduction and wheelbase adaptability by enabling post-manufacturing configuration changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive apparatus uses standardized common components for the motor, reducer, and final gear, while allowing local customization through adjustable mounting positions and body-connecting parts. This local quality approach maintains cost efficiency through component standardization while providing the flexibility needed for wheelbase optimization in different vehicle applications.
3Volume of moving object
If drive units are arranged adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction, then the packaging space is improved, but the arrangement complexity inside the body frame casing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive units are merged and arranged adjacently in the vehicle width direction within the body frame casing, utilizing the space between the left and right mounting frame bodies. This merging arrangement improves packaging space efficiency by consolidating the drive units into a compact configuration, while the standardized mounting interfaces and body-connecting parts simplify the overall arrangement complexity despite the compact positioning.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces manufacturing costs by allowing a common drive apparatus for trucks with different specifications, enhances product value through adjustable wheelbase, improves steering performance, and maintains balance and drive feel.
Implementation Method 1
an air suspension part disposed over the final gear in the drive unit housing
Data Source
AI summary
An electric truck includes drive units being provided to each of driving wheels on left and right sides of the electric truck, each of the drive units transmitting a driving force of a motor to each of the driving wheels, a body frame casing including a pair of mounting frame bodies extending in a vehicle width direction of the electric truck and being arranged apart in a vehicle front-rear direction and a pair of cross members connecting the pair of mounting frame bodies, and body-connecting parts connecting each of a vehicle front side and a vehicle rear side of each of the drive units arranged in a frame of the body frame casing to each of the mounting frame bodies. The pair of drive units are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction inside the frame of the body frame casing.