Electric Vehicle Flat Floor Cabin with Underfloor Battery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fully autonomous electric vehicles face challenges in efficiently utilizing cabin space while ensuring easy access for occupants, particularly for those with mobility impairments and cargo, due to the arrangement of components like batteries and doorways.
Innovation Solution
The electric vehicle design features a flat floor cabin with the battery accommodated under the floor, allowing for a wide cabin space and end and side doorways with slopes that eliminate step differences, enabling easy entry and exit from both road and sidewalk levels, along with a modular construction for varying vehicle sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the battery is accommodated under the floor of the vehicle cabin, then the vehicle cabin space is efficiently utilized, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is relocated from the traditional side or front/rear placement to the space under the floor, utilizing the vertical dimension beneath the cabin floor. This dimensional shift allows the battery to occupy unused space without encroaching on the cabin volume, thereby maximizing vehicle cabin space while accommodating the battery system.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery is nested within the floor structure of the vehicle cabin. The floor acts as a container that houses the battery underneath, creating a nested arrangement where one component (battery) is placed within the structural envelope of another component (floor). This nesting approach efficiently utilizes space without adding external complexity to the vehicle's overall structure.
2Volume of moving object
If the end doorway is provided in the longitudinally-end wall on the opposite side of the battery, then a wide vehicle cabin space is obtained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The doorway is positioned asymmetrically relative to the battery placement. Since the battery occupies one side of the vehicle under the floor, the end doorway is provided in the longitudinally-end wall on the opposite side. This asymmetric arrangement allows the doorway to be located where it does not interfere with the battery structure, maximizing cabin space while maintaining a relatively simple doorway configuration.
3Ease of operation
If the end slope is provided at the end doorway to eliminate step differences, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end slope creates an equipotential transition between the road surface and the cabin floor by eliminating the step difference. The slope provides a gradual change in elevation, making the transition from the lower road level to the higher cabin floor smooth and accessible. This allows occupants, including those with mobility impairments, to enter and exit the vehicle easily without encountering abrupt level changes.
4Ease of operation
If both end doorway and side doorway are provided with slopes, then the accessibility is improved for all occupants, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The slope structure is designed as a universal solution that serves multiple functions: it provides accessibility for occupants with mobility impairments, facilitates easy entry and exit for all passengers, and enables convenient loading and unloading of luggage or trolleys. By making the slope a standard feature at both end and side doorways, the same structural element performs multiple accessibility-related functions, justifying the manufacturing investment through enhanced versatility.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric vehicle (10) includes a vehicle cabin (20), a battery (30), a drive unit (32), and an end doorway (25, 25R). The vehicle cabin (20) is provided with a floor having a flat floor surface (20A), and configured such that an occupant is able to be in the vehicle cabin (20) in any one of a seated position and a standing position. The battery (30) is accommodated under the floor of the vehicle cabin (20). The drive unit (32) is provided on one of a front side and a rear side with respect to the battery (30) in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The end doorway (25, 25R) is provided in a longitudinally-end wall (20C, 20E) of the vehicle cabin (20), and provided on the other one of the front side and the rear side with respect to the battery (30) in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The end doorway (25, 25R) is configured such that the occupant is able to get on and off the electric vehicle (10) through the end doorway (25, 25R).