An electric vehicle includes a vehicle cabin, a battery, a drive unit, and an end doorway. The vehicle cabin is provided with a floor having a flat floor surface, and configured such that an occupant is able to be in the vehicle cabin in any one of a seated position and a standing position. The battery is accommodated under the floor of the vehicle cabin. The drive unit is provided on one of a front side and a rear side with respect to the battery in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The end doorway is provided in a longitudinally-end wall of the vehicle cabin, and provided on the other one of the front side and the rear side with respect to the battery in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The end doorway is configured such that the occupant is able to get on and off the electric vehicle through the end doorway.

A fixing structure 40 has an inwardly-facing seat 22, a front side seat 42, and fixing members 44. The inwardly-facing seat 22 is fixed to a floor portion 14 such that passengers PA face in a vehicle transverse direction. The front side seat 42 has a seat cushion 46 on which the passenger PA sits, and a supporting member 52, and is disposed at the floor portion 14 at a vehicle longitudinal direction front side of the inwardly-facing seat 22, and rear wheels 36 can contact the seat cushion 46 in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The supporting member 52 supports the seat cushion 46 such that the seat cushion 46 can rotate toward the inwardly-facing seat 22. The fixing members 44 fix a wheelchair 30 to the floor portion 14 in a state in which the rear wheels 36 are made to contact the front side seat 42.

A closed loop cooling system for a junction box in a vehicle includes a junction box housing and a storage compartment for a vehicle. A cool air duct interior volume of a cool air duct and a warm air duct interior volume of a warm air duct are each in fluidic communication with a housing interior volume of the junction box housing and a compartment interior volume of the storage compartment to form a closed loop cooling system. The cool air duct interior volume is sized to convey cool air from a cool air outlet of the storage compartment to a cool air inlet of the junction box housing, and the warm air duct interior volume is sized to convey warm air, which is warmer than the cool air, from a warm air outlet of the junction box housing to a warm air inlet of the storage compartment.

A combustion air intake apparatus for a truck, tractor, or bus vehicle for highway use includes an air deflecting element that is selectively deployable to cause dynamic air pressure created by vehicle motion to increase static air, pressure within the intake apparatus under appropriate conditions. Deployment or retraction of the air deflecting element is responsive to at least one of forward speed of the vehicle, air pressure downstream of an air inlet opening, or throttle position, and may further be responsive to detection of precipitation and/or particulate material. An air deflecting element may include a moveable plate or flap, moveable louvers, or a moveable duct.

A vehicle includes an inputter receiving an emergency stop command; an emergency stop condition determiner determining that an emergency stop condition is satisfied when a driver's state is determined as a predetermined inoperable state, a steering wheel is not operated for a predetermined time period, or a rate of change of a yaw rate of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined value; a sensor configured for detecting an obstacle around the vehicle; and a controller configured to determine whether the vehicle can avoid collision with a front obstacle only by braking without a lane change, to determine a risk area in an adjacent lane based on a braking distance of the vehicle and obstacle detection information in a lane adjacent to a driving lane of the vehicle, and to control the lane change or a braking process of the vehicle based on whether the obstacle is detected in the determined risk area.

The invention relates to an assembly (1) of a frame member (2) for an electric vehicle comprising a transverse member (14) with at each end a housing (10,10) connected to the transverse member (14) and two in-wheel motors (3,3) connected to a respective housing. Each motor comprises a brake drum (35) connected to a rotor (24), extending coaxially within the housing (10,10) near an inner surface a circumferential wall (8) of the housing. A brake shoe assembly (51,52,55,56) is movable in a radial direction R against the brake drum (35), and an actuator (18,18) is placed on an outer surface (17,17) of the circumferential wall (8,8) of the housing (10,10), connected to the brake shoe assembly (51,52,55,56). The assembly provides a low-floor portal frame member, with two in-wheel motors and a brake system that has relatively small axial dimensions and provides a reduced space envelope at the vehicle side.

A low-profile vehicle chassis comprising at least one chassis section comprising an upper side, a lower side spaced from the upper side and a cavity defined between the upper and lower sides of the chassis. At least one drivetrain and/or power component of the vehicle is contained within the cavity. Also, a vehicle comprising such a chassis. Also provided is a drivetrain module for an electric vehicle, the drivetrain module comprising a housing, at least one electric motor within the housing, a gearbox within the housing and having an input connected to the at least one electric motor to receive drive from the at least one electric motor, and at least one drive shaft connected to an output of the gearbox to transmit mechanical drive from the gearbox.

An independent suspension for vehicles, in particular for heavy vehicles, includes a steering knuckle developing between an outer portion, defining the axis of rotation of a wheel hub, and an inner portion, having a receiving seat extending transversely to the outer portion along a steering axis and a knuckle-carrier assembly rotatably coupled to the inner portion of the knuckle to allow a relative rotation around the steering axis, and including at least a first and a second supporting portion defining each a substantially horizontal hinge point for one end of a respective cross arm. The knuckle-carrier assembly includes a first and a second body, separate to each other, in which the first body includes a steering pin developing along the steering axis and the first supporting portion, and the second body is partially fitted around the steering pin and includes the second supporting portion.

The invention relates to a drive arrangement for a vehicle and a method for gear shifting in a vehicle. The drive arrangement (5) comprises at least a first drive axle (10, 20, 30) operatively connected to a first gear box (11) and a first propulsion unit (12). The drive arrangement (5) further comprises a second gear box (21) and a second propulsion unit (22) operatively connected to the first drive axle (10) or to an optional second drive axle (20, 30). The drive arrangement (5) further comprises at least one electronic control unit (ECU) adapted to govern gear transmission of the first and the second gear boxes (11, 21). The electronic control unit (ECU) is configured to automatically select between shifting gear on the first and the second gear boxes (11, 21) simultaneously, or sequentially. The drive arrangement and the method provides for a very versatile drive arrangement and gear synchronization providing comfort for the driver and the passengers as well as improved vehicle dynamics.

The power train of an electric vehicle includes an electric motor and a gearbox coupling the electric motor to a drive wheel. A controller may be configured to initiate a gear shift in the gearbox, and activate one or both of (a) a torque jog in electric motor, or (b) a burst of a pressurized fluid in an actuator to assist with the gear shift.