A reinforcement arrangement for protecting a vehicle occupant in the event of a frontal collision. The reinforcement arrangement which is configured to be centrally located is attachable to lateral support beams of a frame provides a more weight efficient solution compared to previously used reinforcement arrangement attached to longitudinal beams located in a tunnel structure of the vehicle. The described reinforcement arrangement is further configured to minimize intrusion into the vehicle interior in the event of a frontal collision, and to instead direct forces into the frame via the lateral support beams. Thereby, the force can be directed into the frame and not to sensitive components of the energy source.

A vehicle rail assembly has an extending longitudinal rail with a kick down area. A kick down area enabler is positioned in the rail at the kick down area. The kick down area enabler includes a foot rest portion, an outer part portion and a kick down portion all contacting the rail. The outer part portion and kick down portion part are cantilevered from the foot rest portion via welding. The kick down area enabler provides additional energy absorption for the rail to prevent intrusion into a passenger compartment.

A vehicle body structure includes: a pair of front side frames disposed on a front side of a vehicle to be in parallel with each other along a vehicle front-rear direction; lower members and gussets (load receiving portions) disposed at front ends in the vehicle front-rear direction of the front side frames so as to extend outward in a vehicle width direction; front wheels disposed outward in the vehicle width direction of the front side frames; and right and left side sills extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. Vehicle-width-direction outer end portions of the load receiving portions are positioned outward in the vehicle width direction of vehicle-width-direction inner end portions of the front wheels, and vehicle-width-direction outer end portions of the front wheels are positioned outward in the vehicle width direction of vehicle-width-direction inner end portions of front ends in the vehicle front-rear direction of the side sills.

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 lower vehicle body structure is provided, which includes a vehicle body floor having a bottom surface part, a floor tunnel bulging upwardly from the bottom surface part of the vehicle body floor and extending in vehicle front-and-rear directions, a power transmission mechanism disposed inside the floor tunnel, a mount member supporting the power transmission mechanism from below, and seat rails disposed on the vehicle body floor and slidably supporting seats from below. The mount member and the seat rails are jointly fastened to the vehicle body floor.

A vehicle body of a vehicle includes: a floor panel, a floor side member coupled to both sides of the floor panel, a front cross member, and a rear cross member, where the floor side member, the front cross member, and the rear cross member are connected to each other to form an annular member structure surrounding an edge of a floor of the vehicle, and the annular member structure forms a load path together with a front side member and a rear side member.

A front structure of a vehicle body is provided. The front structure includes shock-absorber housings disposed between the front side of a dash panel and the lower end of a front windshield glass, shock-absorber mounts coupled to the upper sides of the shock-absorber housings, and a cross member that extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle while being spaced apart from the dash panel in the forward direction. The cross member has a rear surface portion, and each of the opposite ends of the rear surface portion is coupled to the front end portion of a respective one of the shock-absorber housings.

A front body of a vehicle includes left and right front side members extending forward from a left end part and a right end part of a lower end of a dash panel, an upper back beam connecting front ends of the front side members and extending in a width direction of the vehicle, left and right front center members extending forward from a central left part and a central right part of the lower end of the dash panel, a lower back beam connecting front ends of the front center members and extending in the width direction of the vehicle, and first and second support members, the first support member connecting the left front side member and the left front center member and the second support member connecting the right front side member and the right front center member.

A lower vehicle body structure includes a vehicle body floor having a bottom surface part, a floor tunnel bulging upwardly from the bottom surface part and extending in vehicle front-and-rear directions, side sills extending in the front-and-rear directions, hinge pillars extending upwardly from the side sills, first frames, lowered parts and second frames. Each first frame extends in the front-and-rear directions between the floor tunnel and a side sill. Each lowered part is provided to the bottom surface part between a first frame and a side sill so as to be lowered below a part where the floor and the side sills are joined. Each second frame extends to a first frame, obliquely rearwardly and inwardly from a side sill along an upper surface of the bottom surface part, and forms in a part including a lowered part a closed cross-section between the bottom surface part and a second frame.