An EV Trailer Auxiliary Rechargeable Battery storage system is designed to store energy via rechargeable batteries. The system is designed to be attached/secured to the undercarriage, frame, or chassis of any type of trailer. The rechargeable batteries intern provides the necessary energy required to increased overall mileage or distance of the electric EV towing vehicle, tractor or power unit when attached to the trailer in combination, as well assist in meeting the daily energy consumption of the electric EV towing vehicle, tractor, or power unit. The System is designed independently to be charged at a standalone charging station when parked at a warehouse, truck stops or recreational locations via the charging ports on the trailer or when the electric EV towing vehicle, tractor, or power unit and the trailer is attached in combination

The disclosure is directed at an apparatus and method for shifting or moving trailers. In one aspect, the apparatus is a converter dolly with at least one set of powered wheels, which can be equipped with a remote control steering device. In another aspect, the apparatus is a remotely controlled terminal tractor configured to be coupled to a trailer. In some aspects, the remote control of the apparatus is directed by an autonomous algorithm resident remotely or on the apparatus itself. In another aspect, a frame of an apparatus for towing a trailer includes an articulated frame with a first frame counterpart pivotably connected to a second frame counterpart.

Disclosed herein is a quick-change universal power battery for a new energy vehicle. A battery body is provided with a quick-change connection port, a recessed structure, an independent liquid temperature-control loop and a multi-connection port structure. The battery body is provided with a recessed area, and the quick-change connection port is arranged in the recessed area. A power battery system is composed of no more than eight main models of quick-change universal power batteries to achieve battery selection and replacement of most new energy vehicles, and the power battery system is combined with charging to facilitate an electrical-energy supplement of the new energy vehicle. A vehicle and a replacement station are also disclosed.

The vehicle system can include: a set of vehicle couplings (e.g., a tractor interface, a trailer interface, etc.); a chassis, a battery pack, an electric powertrain, a sensor suite, and a controller. The modular vehicle system can optionally include landing gear, a suspension, and any other suitable set of components. The vehicle system functions to structurally support and/or tow a trailer – such as a Class 8 semi-trailer – and/or to augment/supplement a tractor propulsive capability (e.g., via a diesel/combustion engine) with a supplementary electric drive axle(s).

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a truck, a tractor unit, a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, at a tandem, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

A self contained battery and slide frame houses a pair of trailer axles and an electrical vehicle storage battery secured by parallel slide frame rails adapted for attachment to an underside of a standard tractor trailer (Class 8) trailer frame. The slide frame attaches to an underside of a trailer using perforated frame beams used to vary a position of the wheel/axle assemblies relative to the trailer body and payload. The slide frame rails provide self contained support for a storage battery, e-axle, control electronics and connecting wires for charging and running a vehicle load from the storage battery. Vehicle loads powered by the storage battery include transport refrigeration units (TRUs) and electrical vehicle (EV) tractors.

In a caravan that includes a battery and an axle, the battery is designed to supply power to a traction drive of a tractor vehicle and/or to an optional drive unit of the caravan when same is towed on the road, and the battery is mounted so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the caravan and can be moved by an adjustment mechanism.

A method for controlling, via a trailer vehicle configured to be coupled to a towing vehicle with an electric drive, the electric drive of the towing vehicle includes receiving, via a trailer brake control unit of the trailer vehicle, a current accelerator pedal position from the towing vehicle. The method further includes generating a control signal for the electric drive with the trailer brake control unit depending on the received current accelerator pedal position and controlling the electric drive with the generated control signal.

A trailer mountable power storage and distribution system is provided. The power storage and distribution system includes a battery assembly and an auxiliary component assembly. The battery assembly includes a housing configured to be mounted to a chassis assembly of a trailer unit. The auxiliary component assembly is configured to be mounted to the chassis assembly of the trailer unit. The auxiliary component assembly has a thermal management component and a power distribution module. The thermal management component is configured to remove heat from the battery assembly. The power distribution module is configured to electrically connect the battery assembly to a load disposed on a tractor configured to tow the trailer unit.

A motorized supplemental trailer axle includes an axle securable to a trailer and having a wheel affixed to opposing ends thereof. A motor for powering the axle wheels is operably connected to a battery power supply. A transfer case having a clutch mechanism is operably connected to the motor and the axle, wherein the clutch mechanism is configured to selectively engage the motor with the axle to rotate the pair of wheels. A control module includes a sensor configured to monitor rotational speed of the pair of axle wheels, a processor, a non-transitory computer readable medium operatively connected to the processor, and a logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the system to calculate a wheel speed of a vehicle currently towing the trailer and activate the motor to rotate the wheels of the trailer axle at a speed that matches the towing vehicle's wheel speed.