Electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11040609-B2
Application number	US-201916543808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2019
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

An electric vehicle includes a vehicle cabin, a battery, a drive unit, and an end doorway. The vehicle cabin is provided with a floor having a flat floor surface, and configured such that an occupant is able to be in the vehicle cabin in any one of a seated position and a standing position. The battery is accommodated under the floor of the vehicle cabin. The drive unit is provided on one of a front side and a rear side with respect to the battery in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The end doorway is provided in a longitudinally-end wall of the vehicle cabin, and provided on the other one of the front side and the rear side with respect to the battery in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The end doorway is configured such that the occupant is able to get on and off the electric vehicle through the end doorway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle comprising:
a vehicle cabin provided with a floor having a floor surface that is flat, the vehicle cabin being configured such that an occupant is able to be in the vehicle cabin in any one of a seated position and a standing position;
a battery accommodated under the floor of the vehicle cabin;
a drive unit provided on one of a front side and a rear side with respect to the battery in a vehicle longitudinal direction;
an end doorway provided in a longitudinally-end wall of the vehicle cabin, the longitudinally-end wall being provided on the other one of the front side and the rear side with respect to the battery in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the end doorway being configured such that the occupant is able to get on and off the electric vehicle through the end doorway; and
an end slope provided at the end doorway, the end slope being configured to extend from the floor surface toward an outside of the vehicle cabin in a use position, the end slope being configured to be positioned between the floor surface and the battery in an accommodation position.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a side doorway provided in a side wall of the vehicle cabin, the side doorway being configured such that the occupant is able to get on and off the electric vehicle through the side doorway, the side wall being an end wall of the vehicle cabin in a vehicle-width direction.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a side slope provided at the side doorway, the side slope being configured to extend from the floor surface toward an outside of the vehicle cabin.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising
a side doorway provided in a side wall of the vehicle cabin, the side doorway being configured such that the occupant is able to get on and off the electric vehicle through the side doorway, the side wall being an end wall of the vehicle cabin in a vehicle-width direction; and
a side slope provided at the side doorway, the side slope being configured to extend from the floor surface toward an outside of the vehicle cabin, the side slope being accommodated at a position that does not overlap with the accommodation position of the end slope in a plan view of a part of the electric vehicle under the floor.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a connector configured to electrically connect the battery and the drive unit to each other at a junction between a vehicle center part and one of a vehicle front part and a vehicle rear part, the one of the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part including the drive unit,
the vehicle center part being a part of the electric vehicle, and the vehicle center part including the battery,
the vehicle front part being a part of the electric vehicle, the vehicle front part including one of the drive unit and the end doorway, the vehicle front part being coupled to the vehicle center part, and
the vehicle rear part being a part of the electric vehicle, the vehicle rear part including the other of the drive unit and the end doorway, the vehicle rear part being coupled to the vehicle center part.

6. An electric vehicle comprising:
a vehicle cabin provided with a floor having a floor surface that is flat, the vehicle cabin being configured such that an occupant is able to be in the vehicle cabin in any one of a seated position and a standing position;
a battery accommodated under the floor of the vehicle cabin;
a drive unit provided on one of a front side and a rear side with respect to the battery in a vehicle longitudinal direction;
an end doorway provided in a longitudinally-end wall of the vehicle cabin, the longitudinally-end wall being provided on the other one of the front side and the rear side with respect to the battery in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the end doorway being configured such that the occupant is able to get on and off the electric vehicle through the end doorway;
an end slope provided at the end doorway, the end slope being configured to extend from the floor surface toward an outside of the vehicle cabin in a use position;
a side doorway provided in a side wall of the vehicle cabin, the side doorway being configured such that the occupant is able to get on and off the electric vehicle through the side doorway, the side wall being an end wall of the vehicle cabin in a vehicle-width direction; and
a side slope provided at the side doorway, the side slope being configured to extend from the floor surface toward an outside of the vehicle cabin, the side slope being accommodated at a position that does not overlap with an accommodation position of the end slope in a plan view of a part of the electric vehicle under the floor.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6 , further comprising a connector configured to electrically connect the battery and the drive unit to each other at a junction between a vehicle center part and one of a vehicle front part and a vehicle rear part, the one of the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part including the drive unit,
the vehicle center part being a part of the electric vehicle, and the vehicle center part including the battery,
the vehicle front part being a part of the electric vehicle, the vehicle front part including one of the drive unit and the end doorway, the vehicle front part being coupled to the vehicle center part, and
the vehicle rear part being a part of the electric vehicle, the vehicle rear part including the other of the drive unit and the end doorway, the vehicle rear part being coupled to the vehicle center part.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hara Yasuhiro
• Tsuruta Ayano

Classifications

• B60K1/04 Primary

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B60K11/02

  with liquid cooling · CPC title

• B60J5/10

  arranged at the vehicle rear (B60J5/04 takes precedence {; bonnets or lids B62D25/10; tail gates for pick-up trucks B62D33/0273; counterbalancing E05F; springs, e.g. pneumatic F16F}) · CPC title

• B60K2001/006

  the electric motors · CPC title

• B60K2001/0438

  Arrangement under the floor · CPC title