A vehicle includes a chassis, tractive elements coupled to the chassis, an electric motor coupled to the chassis and coupled to the tractive elements such that the electric motor drives the tractive elements to propel the vehicle, an accessory module coupled to the chassis and coupled to an output of the electric motor. The accessory module is configured to receive mechanical energy provided by the electric motor and provide at least one of electrical energy or fluid energy.

A vehicle includes a chassis, tractive elements coupled to the chassis, an electric motor coupled to the chassis and coupled to the tractive elements such that the electric motor drives the tractive elements to propel the vehicle, an accessory module coupled to the chassis and coupled to an output of the electric motor. The accessory module is configured to receive mechanical energy provided by the electric motor and provide at least one of electrical energy or fluid energy.

The vehicle battery pack exchange system shown here charges renters for the time use interval, the energy needed to recharge the battery pack, and the battery wear their use has caused. Data on battery wear accelerating stress parameters such as current, voltage, temperature, and state of charge is collected for battery packs rented to vehicle users. Wear rates are estimated from the collected data. Then either users are charged for the wear they cause or wear is limited to some predetermined wear rate and users are charged a predetermined battery wear fee. In either embodiment drivers are displayed information to adapt their driving to battery wear rates. Renters are charged for battery pack usage time, energy supplied by the rental station, and battery wear providing battery owners a secure return on their investment. This system accommodates both short term and sustained long term rentals. Long term rental of a single battery pack for local use gives convenience and low costs while short term rentals provide unlimited range via swapping exhausted packs for recharged units during extended travel.

The vehicle battery pack exchange system shown here charges renters for the time use interval, the energy needed to recharge the battery pack, and the battery wear their use has caused. Data on battery wear accelerating stress parameters such as current, voltage, temperature, and state of charge is collected for battery packs rented to vehicle users. Wear rates are estimated from the collected data. Then either users are charged for the wear they cause or wear is limited to some predetermined wear rate and users are charged a predetermined battery wear fee. In either embodiment drivers are displayed information to adapt their driving to battery wear rates. Renters are charged for battery pack usage time, energy supplied by the rental station, and battery wear providing battery owners a secure return on their investment. This system accommodates both short term and sustained long term rentals. Long term rental of a single battery pack for local use gives convenience and low costs while short term rentals provide unlimited range via swapping exhausted packs for recharged units during extended travel.

The vehicle battery pack exchange system herein described charges renters for the time use interval, the energy needed to recharge the battery pack, and the battery wear their use has caused. Data on battery wear accelerating stress parameters such as current, voltage, temperature, and state of charge is collected for battery packs rented to vehicle users. Wear rates are estimated from the collected data. Then either users are charged for the wear they cause or wear is limited to some predetermined wear rate and users are charged a predetermined battery wear fee. In either embodiment drivers are displayed information to adapt their driving to battery wear rates. Renters are charged for battery pack usage time, energy supplied by the rental station, and battery wear providing battery owners a secure return on their investment. This system accommodates both short term and sustained long term rentals. Long term rental of a single battery pack for local use gives convenience and low costs while short term rentals provide unlimited range via swapping exhausted packs for recharged units during extended travel.

The vehicle battery pack exchange system herein described charges renters for the time use interval, the energy needed to recharge the battery pack, and the battery wear their use has caused. Data on battery wear accelerating stress parameters such as current, voltage, temperature, and state of charge is collected for battery packs rented to vehicle users. Wear rates are estimated from the collected data. Then either users are charged for the wear they cause or wear is limited to some predetermined wear rate and users are charged a predetermined battery wear fee. In either embodiment drivers are displayed information to adapt their driving to battery wear rates. Renters are charged for battery pack usage time, energy supplied by the rental station, and battery wear providing battery owners a secure return on their investment. This system accommodates both short term and sustained long term rentals. Long term rental of a single battery pack for local use gives convenience and low costs while short term rentals provide unlimited range via swapping exhausted packs for recharged units during extended travel.

According to one aspect, energy management or battery pack distribution may be achieved by receiving a location associated with a portable battery dispensing vehicle which carries or stocks modular battery replacement packs for electric vehicles, determining a location of a mobile device associated with the system for energy management, displaying the location associated with the portable battery dispensing vehicle and the location associated with the mobile device, receiving a request associated with a purchase of one of the modular battery replacement packs carried by the portable battery dispensing vehicle, and generating an instruction to credit an associated account with a virtual energy credit based on the request associated with the purchase of one or more of the modular battery replacement packs.

According to one aspect, energy management or battery pack distribution may be achieved by receiving a location associated with a portable battery dispensing vehicle which carries or stocks modular battery replacement packs for electric vehicles, determining a location of a mobile device associated with the system for energy management, displaying the location associated with the portable battery dispensing vehicle and the location associated with the mobile device, receiving a request associated with a purchase of one of the modular battery replacement packs carried by the portable battery dispensing vehicle, and generating an instruction to credit an associated account with a virtual energy credit based on the request associated with the purchase of one or more of the modular battery replacement packs.

The present disclosure relates to methods and associated systems for managing a plurality of device-exchange stations. The method includes, for example, (1) receiving empirical information regarding exchanges of energy storage devices from each of the plurality of device-exchange stations in an initial time period; (2) determining a target time period; (3) identifying a plurality of reference factors and associated weighting values based on empirical information regarding exchanges of energy storage devices; (4) determining demand information during the target time period for each of the plurality of device-exchange stations during the target time period for each of the device-exchange stations; and (5) forming a plurality of charging plans for each of the plurality of device-exchange stations according to demand information during the target time period.

The present disclosure relates to methods and associated systems for managing a plurality of device-exchange stations. The method includes, for example, (1) receiving empirical information regarding exchanges of energy storage devices from each of the plurality of device-exchange stations in an initial time period; (2) determining a target time period; (3) identifying a plurality of reference factors and associated weighting values based on empirical information regarding exchanges of energy storage devices; (4) determining demand information during the target time period for each of the plurality of device-exchange stations during the target time period for each of the device-exchange stations; and (5) forming a plurality of charging plans for each of the plurality of device-exchange stations according to demand information during the target time period.