A battery pack includes: a plurality of battery modules arranged side by side along a first direction orthogonal to an up-down direction; a housing case configured to house the plurality of battery modules; a wire harness electrically connected to the plurality of battery modules and routed in the housing case; and a reinforcing portion provided within the housing case and configured to reinforce the housing case. The reinforcing portion includes a plate-shaped portion arranged separately from the plurality of battery modules and extending along the first direction. The plate-shaped portion has a lower surface facing the plurality-of-battery-modules side, and an upper surface located on an opposite side of the lower surface. The wire harness is routed along the upper surface of the plate-shaped portion.

A system and method for vehicle power exchange includes both a system for exchanging a container having a power cell associated with the vehicle and an appropriate vehicle which has been adapted for vehicle power exchange. Advantageously, the system includes at least one power exchange power strip, at least one container with charged power cell associated with the power strip and wireless communication associated with the power exchange strip for communicating with a vehicle to effect power exchange. An advantageous vehicle for power exchange has a removable container with power cell, a computer processor for controlling requisite functions of the vehicle during power exchange (i.e. container exchange) and a mechanism which allows for the depositing of a container with depleted power cell and insertion of a replacement container with charged power cell into the vehicle. The method in one form includes receiving a vehicle for power exchange in a first position along a power strip, communicating instructions wirelessly to the vehicle to release a container with depleted power cell from the vehicle at a first position along a power exchange strip, moving the vehicle to a second position along the power exchange strip, and inserting a container with charged power cell associated with the power exchange strip at the second position, into the vehicle.

A vehicle lower structure includes: a battery pack provided under a floor of a vehicle cabin; a framework member fixed to a bottom surface of the case, the framework member extending across the case in a vehicle width direction; a first extension framework member detachably attached to one end of the framework member in the vehicle width direction such that at least one of distal ends of the first extension framework member in the vehicle width direction is located outward of one end of the case in the vehicle width direction; and a second extension framework member detachably attached to the other end of the framework member in the vehicle width direction such that at least one of distal ends of the second extension framework member in the vehicle width direction is located outward of the other end of the case in the vehicle width direction.

A vehicle lower structure includes: a floor of a vehicle; a cross member that is provided under the floor and extends in a vehicle width direction; a battery pack mounted under the floor; a suspension member with which a movable part of a suspension is connected so that the movable part is able to operate, the suspension member being positioned on a front side or a rear side of the battery pack and fixed to a vehicle body; and a hanging bracket that is hung from the cross member and is connected with an end surface of the battery pack on a suspension member side by a fastening component such that the hanging bracket supports the battery pack in a hanging manner. The battery pack and the hanging bracket are connected with each other below the suspension member.

An automobile vehicle includes a vehicle body that includes a floor panel and a pair of left and right cross members, and a battery pack. The pair of left and right cross members are coupled to the floor panel and extend in a left-right direction. The battery pack is disposed below the floor panel. The battery pack includes a lower battery, an upper battery disposed above the lower battery, and a coupling member that is disposed above the lower battery at the center of the automobile vehicle in the left-right direction in a front view, that extends in the left-right direction, and that is coupled on both end sides to the respective left and right cross members.

A method and system for swapping batteries in an electric vehicle is disclosed. The method includes dismounting a first battery assembly, moving to a second battery assembly and mounting the second battery assembly onto the vehicle. Mounting and dismounting are accomplished by an onboard mounting and dismounting system. The method can be used in a zero infrastructure environment such as an underground mine since mounting and dismounting are accomplished by components on the vehicle itself. An auxiliary battery pack powers the vehicle during between dismounting a battery pack and mounting another battery pack.

A battery pack includes an upper sidewall section of an enclosure, a lower sidewall section of the enclosure, and a fastener that moves to a secured position to secure the upper sidewall section to the lower sidewall section. The fastener is configured to be moved to the secured position from within an interior area of the enclosure. The battery pack further includes a gasket seal held between the upper sidewall section and the lower sidewall section at a position outside the fastener relative to an interior area of the enclosure.

The present invention relates to a method for moving a heavy object into a confined space. The method comprises providing the heavy object in an initial position, the heavy object having an underside resting on a ground surface and comprising an inducible gas-cushion arrangement which in its inactive state causes the underside of the heavy object to maintain contact with the ground surface; activating the inducible gas-cushion arrangement by forming a gas cushion between the underside of the heavy object and the ground surface, the gas cushion generating a lifting force causing the underside of the heavy object to lose contact with the ground surface; moving the heavy object relative to the confined space until the underside of the heavy object at least levels with the supporting surface of the confined space; and moving the heavy object into its final position utilizing the lifting force of the gas-cushion.

An embodiment is directed to a battery module mounting area of an energy storage system. The battery module mounting area includes a first set of battery module compartments arranged along a first longitudinal side of the battery module mounting area, and a second set of battery module compartments arranged along a second longitudinal side of the battery module mounting area. Each battery module compartment in the first and second sets of battery module compartments includes an insertion-side through which a battery module is configured to be inserted into the battery module compartment and/or removed from the battery module compartment. The insertion-side of each battery module compartment in the first and second sets of battery module compartments is configured to be closed via an insertion-side cover to form a battery housing with a closed compartment profile that is characterized by each battery module compartment being sealed from at least one other battery module compartment in the battery housing.

A battery carrier for an electric motor vehicle is disclosed having a trough for receiving at least one battery. The trough is produced in the form of a formed sheet-metal component deep-drawn from a hardenable steel material with a base and walls arranged at an angle to the base. The load paths arising in the trough are hardened locally, and/or connecting points for struts arranged in the trough are hardened locally.