A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). To charge, the machines employ electrical current from an external source, such as the electrical grid or an electrical service of an installation location. By default, each portable electrical energy storage device is disabled from accepting a charge unless it receives authentication information from an authorized collection, charging and distribution machine, other authorized charging device, or other authorized device that transmits the authentication credentials. Also, by default, each portable electrical energy storage device is disabled from releasing energy unless it receives authentication information from an external device to which it will provide power, such as a vehicle or other authorization device.

A method for rapidly recharging a military or a non-military device having an electric battery is provided. The method includes recharging the military or non-military device and the recharging includes delivering coolant to the military or non-military device to cool the electric battery. A military device, a non-military non-vehicular device, a mobile charging station and a stationary charging station are also provided.

A heating and cooling system for an electric vehicle includes an electric pump that pumps fluid around a first loop to selectively cool part of the drive train of the vehicle. The fluid passes through a cabin heater that extracts heat energy from the fluid and back to the part of the drive train. An electric compressor pumps fluid around a second loop through a condenser which extracts heat energy from the fluid which flows through an expansion valve and an evaporator and back to the electric compressor. A cabin chiller including an evaporator is located in a flow path receiving fluid output from the condenser through an expansion valve upstream in the flow path. The fluid from the evaporator is drawn back into the second loop by the electric compressor. The chilled fluid flowing through the evaporator extracts heat from the fluid flowing around the first loop.

A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). Locations of collection, charging and distribution machines having available charged portable electrical energy storage devices are communicated to or acquired by a mobile device of a user or a navigation system of a user's vehicle. The locations are indicated on a graphical user interface on a map relative to the user's current location. The user may select particular locations on the map to reserve an available portable electrical energy storage device at a particular collection, charging and distribution machine location. The collection, charging and distribution machine locations displayed may also be based on a physical distance or driving time from the current location of the user mobile device or vehicle.

A vehicle thermal energy control system that is able to achieve improved heat management in the entirety of a vehicle is provided. A thermal energy control system is provided in a vehicle and includes heat sources and a heat amount distributor configured to assign a demanded heat amount calculated from heat demands generated in the entirety of the vehicle, to each heat source on the basis of a suppliable heat amount of each heat source.

A vehicle thermal management system includes a switching portion that switches between a state in which a heat medium circulates through a heat-medium cooling heat exchanger and a state in which the heat medium circulates through a heat-medium heating heat exchanger with respect to each of an engine heat-transfer portion and a heat-generating device, a flow-rate adjustment portion that adjusts the flow rate of the heat medium for each of a heat-medium outside-air heat exchanger and the engine heat-transfer portion, an air-conditioning requesting portion that makes a cooling request for an air cooling heat exchanger to cool the ventilation air as well as a heating request for an air heating heat exchanger to heat the ventilation air, and a controller that controls an operation of at least one of the switching portion, a compressor, and the flow-rate adjustment portion based on presence/absence of the cooling request and presence/absence of the heating request from the air-conditioning requesting portion.

A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). To charge, the machines employ electrical current from an external source, such as the electrical grid or an electrical service of an installation location. The charging and distribution machines may distribute portable electrical energy storage devices of particular performance characteristics and other attributes based on customer preferences and/or customer profiles. The charging and distribution machines may provide instructions to or otherwise program portable electrical energy storage devices stored within the charging and distribution machines to perform at various levels according to user preferences and user profiles.

A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices. To charge, the machines employ electrical current from an external source. As demand at individual collection, charging and distribution machines increases or decreases relative to other collection, charging and distribution machines, a distribution management system initiates redistribution of portable electrical energy storage devices from one collection, charging and distribution machine to another collection, charging and distribution machine in an expeditious manner. Also, redeemable incentives are offered to users to return or exchange their portable electrical energy storage devices at selected collection, charging and distribution machines within the network to effect the redistribution.

A method for rapidly recharging a military or a non-military device having an electric battery is provided. The method includes recharging the military or non-military device and the recharging includes delivering coolant to the military or non-military device to cool the electric battery. A military device, a non-military non-vehicular device, a mobile charging station and a stationary charging station are also provided.

Methods and systems for providing emergency heating in an electric vehicle (EV) running out of power are described herein. An on-board computer or mobile device in an EV may determine that an amount of charge remaining for powering the EV is below a threshold charge level. The on-board computer or mobile device may then route the remaining amount of charge to power a heating system in the EV to maintain a temperature in the EV above a threshold temperature level, and shut down power to other components within the EV.