A hybrid driving apparatus is provided which enables a driver to sufficiently enjoy a driving feeling of a vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine. A hybrid driving apparatus includes an internal combustion engine that drive main driving wheels, a motive power transmission mechanism transmitting a driving force to the main driving wheels, a main driving electric motor driving the main driving wheels, an accumulator, sub-driving electric motors transmitting motive power to sub-driving wheels of the vehicle, and a control apparatus executing an electric motor traveling mode and an internal combustion engine traveling mode. The control apparatus causes the internal combustion engine to generate the driving force, the internal combustion engine is a flywheel-less engine, and the control apparatus causes the main driving electric motor to generate a torque for maintaining idling of the internal combustion engine in the internal combustion engine traveling mode.

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, subdriving 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 vehicle body structure includes a battery mounting portion arranged on a floor of a vehicle and having a battery disposed thereon; a first cross member arranged in a front side of the battery mounting portion and reinforcing the floor; a second cross member arranged in a rear side of the battery mounting portion and reinforcing the floor; first and second extension members extending in a longitudinal direction so as to connect the first and second cross members while being spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction, and reinforcing a lower portion of the battery mounting portion; and a coupling structure coupled to the first and second cross members in a state of coupling the battery.

A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle that can ensure desired resistance to rear-end collision even if a tunnel of a front floor panel is eliminated. The lower vehicle-body structure of the electric vehicle includes a pair of left and right side sills; a substantially flat front floor panel; a first floor cross member and a second floor cross member connecting the left and right side sills in a vehicle-width direction. The lower vehicle-body structure further includes a kick-up portion raised from a rear end of the front floor panel toward a vehicle upper side; a rear floor panel connected to a vehicle rear side of the kick-up portion; and a kick-up reinforcing element connecting a substantial middle of the kick-up portion in the vehicle-width direction and the front floor panel in front of the substantial middle of the kick-up portion.

A lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle to increase resistance to lateral collision and also improve front-end collision load transfer performance of a tunnel. The lower vehicle-body structure of an electric vehicle includes a floor having a tunnel formed in a front part at a middle in a vehicle-width direction; and a floor cross member spanning, above the floor, between side sills disposed on opposite sides of the floor. Also, a rear end of the tunnel is located directly in front of the floor cross member, and reinforcing brackets are provided extending from the tunnel toward an upper end of the floor cross member and connected to the upper end of the floor cross member.

A vehicle battery assembly utilizing side cooling plates. This battery assembly avoids a stacked vertical battery and cooling plate or pack arrangement, optimizes tunnel (and other) space utilization, minimizes battery assembly intrusion into the passenger compartment of the associated vehicle, and allows seat position height to be as low as possible within the passenger compartment of the associated vehicle, while still allowing vertical access to the access points and electrical contacts of the battery modules within the battery assembly. Further, such battery assembly is compatible with conventional and novel cooling pipe configurations and cooling systems.

A vehicle includes an electric load, a first battery electrically connected to the electric load, a second battery electrically connected to the electric load in parallel with the first battery, the second battery being closer to a center of the vehicle than the first battery in a top view of the vehicle, a switch configured to electrically disconnect solely the first battery of the first battery and the second battery from the electric load, and a controller configured to open the switch based on detection of a collision of the vehicle or detection of an abnormality of the first battery.

A discharged air flow path connected to a cooling fan has a first discharged air flow path which is connected to at least one side trim of a left side trim and a right side trim and a second discharged air flow path which branches off from the first discharged air flow path and which is connected to the side trim. A first connecting portion which connects the first discharged air flow path and the side trim is disposed so as to be spaced away from a second connecting portion which connects the second discharged air flow path and the side trim in a front-rear direction. The first discharged air flow path and the second discharged air flow path discharge air into a passenger compartment by way of the side trim.

A vehicle that includes seat cross-members arranged opposite each other on both sides of a center tunnel defining a space, a battery device as an energy accumulator for an electric drive motor of the vehicle, the battery device including a battery housing which at least partially fills the space in the center tunnel, and a load path optimization component arranged in the battery housing at the space of the center tunnel, to transmit forces laterally from one seat cross-member to the other seat cross-member.

A storage area for an electric vehicle includes a rigid tunnel positioned within a passenger compartment of the electric vehicle. The tunnel covers a portion of a battery assembly that extends above a floor structure of the vehicle such that the passenger compartment is sealed from the battery assembly. A center console is positioned within the passenger compartment. The center console is disposed on top of the tunnel such that a medial portion of the center console is spaced a vertical distance above a top surface of the rigid tunnel. A first end and a second end of the center console are coupled with the top surface of the rigid tunnel. A thickness of the medial portion is less than that of the first end and the second end. A space between the top surface of the tunnel and a bottom surface of the medial portion defines the storage area.