A battery for an electric drive of a motor vehicle, having a number of battery modules, which are arranged one above the other in the respective layers and accommodated in an assigned housing. The battery is optimized regarding production engineering aspects, and is also optimized regarding the requirements of tightness and accident properties, each of the layers of the battery modules arranged one above the other is accommodated in a respectively assigned, separate battery housing, which are arranged one above the other in a stack and connected to one another.

A gas sensor includes a gas detecting element that includes a first electrode, a metal oxide layer, and a second electrode; and a first insulating film that has an opening allowing the second electrode to be partially exposed therethrough and covers the first electrode, the metal oxide layer, and another part of the second electrode. The metal oxide layer has a characteristic where its resistance value changes as the second electrode makes contact with gas molecules including hydrogen atoms. A first step is provided at a portion lying on an interface between the metal oxide layer and the second electrode and located within the opening as viewed in plan view. A local region is provided in the metal oxide layer and near the first step. A degree of oxygen deficiency of the local region is greater than a degree of oxygen deficiency of other regions in the metal oxide layer.

To provide a vehicle drive device capable of efficiently driving a vehicle by using a motor without falling into the vicious cycle between enhancement of driving via the motor and an increase in vehicle weight. The present invention is a vehicle drive device (10) having a motor for driving the wheels of a vehicle and includes a front wheel motor (20) for driving front wheels (2b) of a vehicle (1) and a battery (18) and a capacitor (22) that supply electric power for driving the front wheel motor (20), in which the voltage of the battery (18) and the capacitor (22) connected in series is applied to the front wheel motor (20) and the capacitor (22) is disposed between the left and right front wheels (2b) of the vehicle (1).

A hybrid driving apparatus includes an internal combustion engine, a motive power transmission mechanism transmitting a driving force to main driving wheels, a main driving electric motor generating a driving force of the main driving wheels, an accumulator, sub-driving electric motors generating driving forces of sub-driving wheels, and a control apparatus executing an electric motor traveling mode and an internal combustion engine traveling mode. The sub-driving electric motor is provided to each of the sub-driving wheels, the control apparatus causes only the main driving electric motor to generate the driving force in the electric motor traveling mode and causes the main driving electric motor and the sub-driving electric motors to generate the driving forces in acceleration of the vehicle at a predetermined vehicle speed or higher, and although the engine generates the driving force, it does not cause the motors to generate driving forces in the traveling mode.

A lower structure of a vehicle may include a transmission disposed in a floor tunnel, a rear propeller shaft that transmits power from the transmission to rear wheels, and left and right battery units disposed on the left and right sides of the floor tunnel, in which a rear portion (transfer 4a) of the transmission is disposed in proximity to the portions on the front side and the upper side of the battery units, and inner protectors that cover inner side surface portions in the vehicle width direction of the battery units from the inner side in the vehicle width direction may be mounted to the front end portions of the inner side surface portions.

A vehicle includes a dynamic shock absorbing mechanism provided in a cabin. The dynamic shock absorbing mechanism includes a weight support member transversely supported at an upper portion of a cabin frame and extending along a transverse width of a vehicle body; and a weight member supported at a center portion in the vehicle body transverse width direction of the weight support member. The weight support member is an elastic member that has a smaller elastic modulus than an elastic modulus of the cabin frame.

A vehicle chassis platform including: a frame having a front frame end, a rear frame end, a longitudinal frame axis, an upper frame surface, a bottom frame surface, a first longitudinal lateral frame surface and a second longitudinal lateral frame surface, wherein the upper frame surface is substantially flat; and two or more mechanical connectors each on one of the first and second longitudinal lateral surfaces, each of mechanical connectors to couple a vehicle corner module (VCM) to the frame and to transfer mechanical loads between the frame and the VCM when the VCM is on the frame.

A housing for an electrical power storage device is described herein. The housing includes a compartment having a base, a first wall extending from the base, and a second wall extending from the base. The housing also includes a first apron portion and a second apron portion to be used as part of a hold-down assembly for holding down the housing. The first apron portion and the second apron portion are positioned on the first wall and the second wall, respectively, between 15% and 85% of a height of the first wail and second wall from the base to a top of the first wall and the second wall.

A motor vehicle having a crash energy-absorption device includes a body, an electric hybrid drive or electric drive with an electrical machine and a vehicle battery, and an axle support. A support of the axle support is provided between the body-in-white of the motor vehicle and the axle support and/or a crash cross-beam for the axle support is provided.

A vehicle chassis platform including: a frame having a front frame end, a rear frame end, a longitudinal frame axis, an upper frame surface, a bottom frame surface, a first longitudinal lateral frame surface and a second longitudinal lateral frame surface, wherein the upper frame surface is substantially flat; and two or more mechanical connection assemblies each coupled to one of the first and second longitudinal lateral surfaces, each of mechanical connection assemblies to couple a vehicle corner module (VCM) to the frame and to transfer mechanical loads between the frame and the VCM when the VCM is coupled to the frame.