A vehicle transaxle comprising a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to an axle tube of the vehicle absent any additional structure for mounting the transaxle to the vehicle. The axle tube houses a wheel axle to which the transaxle is operably couplable. The transaxle additionally comprises a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mounting collar is structured and operable to have a prime mover of the vehicle mounted thereto and to support the weight/mass of the prime mover such that the prime mover is mountable to the vehicle via only the mounting collar absent any additional structure for mounting the prime mover to the vehicle such that the prime mover can be cantilevered from (e.g., suspended from) the transaxle, e.g., the prime mover is ‘free floating’.

A vehicle transaxle comprising a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to an axle tube of the vehicle absent any additional structure for mounting the transaxle to the vehicle. The axle tube houses a wheel axle to which the transaxle is operably couplable. The transaxle additionally comprises a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mounting collar is structured and operable to have a prime mover of the vehicle mounted thereto and to support the weight/mass of the prime mover such that the prime mover is mountable to the vehicle via only the mounting collar absent any additional structure for mounting the prime mover to the vehicle such that the prime mover can be cantilevered from (e.g., suspended from) the transaxle, e.g., the prime mover is ‘free floating’.

The transmission (1) comprises a housing (2), a first motor (41), a second motor (42), a first and a second input shaft (51, 52), respectively able to be driven in rotation, one (51) by the first motor (41), the other (52) by the second motor (42), two clutch mechanisms (71, 72) and two reduction gears (91, 92), wherein the output shaft (31, 32) is formed by two output shaft sections (31, 32) interconnected such that they rotate freely, the clutch mechanisms (71, 72) are each equipped with a clutch control member operable by a user for allowing the transmission, in the engaged state of the first clutch mechanism (71), of the rotational movement of the first input shaft (51) to the first output shaft section (31), and the transmission, in the engaged state of the second clutch mechanism (72), of the rotational movement of the second input shaft (52) to the second output shaft section (32), and the reduction gears (91, 92) are at least partially received inside the housing (2).

A transaxle system for a golf car, wherein the system comprises a transaxle and a mating interface. The transaxle comprises a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to at least one axle tube of the golf car, wherein the at least one axle tube houses at least one wheel axle, and the transaxle is operably couplable to the at least one wheel axle. The transaxle additionally comprising a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mating interface is mountable to the transaxle mounting collar, and is structured and operable to have an integrated internal combustion engine-transmission unit of the golf car mounted thereto.

A hybrid vehicle includes an engine that drives first wheel, and a motor that drives second wheel. The hybrid vehicle includes (1) a minute speed launch support mode where the hybrid vehicle is driven only by the motor as a drive source, (2) a sudden launch support mode where the hybrid vehicle is driven by the engine and motor as the drive source, and (3) a smooth launch support mode where the hybrid vehicle is driven only by the motor as the drive source in an early stage, is driven by the engine and motor in a middle stage, and is driven only by the engine in a late stage, and if an operation amount of an acceleration instruction unit is not 0 or is substantially not 0, any one of the support modes is executed according to an operation status of the acceleration instruction unit.

A battery system for use in a vehicle is disclosed. The battery system includes a tray having a plurality of battery receptacles. A plurality of batteries are also provided, each battery in the plurality of batteries being received in a battery receptacle. A conductive layer in electrical communication with the plurality of batteries and a terminal for electrically coupling to a vehicle are also provided in the battery system. A cover interlocks with the tray. The cover carries a computer and a diagnostic identification system for the plurality of batteries. A housing for a battery system and a vehicle including a battery system are also disclosed.

A transaxle system for a golf car, wherein the system comprises a transaxle and a matting interface. The transaxle comprises a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to at least one axle tube of the golf car, wherein the at least one axle tube houses at least one wheel axle, and the transaxle is operably couplable to the at least one wheel axle. The transaxle additionally comprising a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mating interface is mountable to the transaxle mounting collar, and is structured and operable to have an integrated internal combustion engine-transmission unit of the golf car mounted thereto.

A universal assembly platform for lightweight vehicles including a main vehicle chassis structure, a floorboard disposed over a top of the main vehicle chassis structure. The floorboard defines a floor surface of a lightweight vehicle that is subsequently assembled utilizing the universal assembly platform. The platform additionally includes at least one energy cell reservoir disposed below the floorboard. The at least one energy cell reservoir is structured and operable to retain at least one prime mover energy cell that will provide electrical energy to power an electric motor of the lightweight vehicle subsequently assembled utilizing the universal assembly platform.

An open cabin electric wheeled vehicle includes a large-capacity driving battery having a volume energy density higher than the volume energy density of a lead storage battery, the large-capacity driving battery being configured to supply electric power to a driving electric motor. The vehicle also includes a fuel-type electric power generation apparatus that generates electric power using a fuel. As seen from a leftward direction or a rightward direction, between the large-capacity driving battery and the fuel-type electric power generation apparatus, a recess overlaps with a passage region which allows people or baggage to pass through of an entrance and exit opening portion having no door, so that a bottom end of a front wall portion, a bottom end of a rear wall portion, and a bottom portion are located further downward than a top end of the large-capacity driving battery which has a volume energy density higher than the volume energy density of a lead storage battery, and a top end of the fuel-type electric power generation apparatus.

An open cabin vehicle is equipped with a fuel cell unit having a hydrogen tank for storing hydrogen to be used as fuel and has a simple structure. An upper end of each of a hydrogen tank, a fuel cell stack, and a hydrogen supply pipe is located farther upward than a floor in a state in which the hydrogen tank, the fuel cell stack, and the hydrogen supply pipe are disposed in a fuel-cell-unit arrangement space which is provided below a space being present farther backward than at least a part of the floor in a vehicle-body inner space, and which borders the vehicle-body inner space, thereby being connected to a vehicle-body outer space which is a space around the open cabin vehicle, via the vehicle-body inner space.