A vehicle includes: a center tunnel which is formed on a floor panel so as to extend in a front-rear direction; a high-voltage battery which is disposed on the center tunnel; and a frame member which holds the high-voltage battery, wherein leg portions are provided on a bottom portion of the frame member so as to extend obliquely downwards, and wherein the frame member is fastened to inclined surfaces of the center tunnel via the leg portions.

A holding structure forming at least part of a vehicle chassis for housing battery modules is disclosed herein. The holding structure has two side members, at least one of the side members defines one or more first apertures for receiving one or more battery modules of the battery modules. The holding structure may have at least one cross member that extends between the two side members. The holding structure has at least one mounting member projecting from the at least one cross member that is parallel to the two side members and that defines a plurality of second apertures that are each laterally displaced from a respective aperture of the plurality of first apertures. When received by a mounting member, the battery module extends through an aperture of the plurality of second apertures and the respective aperture of the plurality of first apertures.

To provide a vehicle drive device capable of efficiently driving a vehicle by using a motor without falling into the vicious cycle between enhancement of driving via the motor and an increase in vehicle weight. The present invention is a vehicle drive device (10) having a motor for driving the wheels of a vehicle and includes a front wheel motor (20) for driving front wheels (2b) of a vehicle (1) and a battery (18) and a capacitor (22) that supply electric power for driving the front wheel motor (20), in which the voltage of the battery (18) and the capacitor (22) connected in series is applied to the front wheel motor (20) and the capacitor (22) is disposed between the left and right front wheels (2b) of the vehicle (1).

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, sub-driving 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.

An assembly provides impact protection for a vehicle battery of a hybrid motor vehicle, in particular a mild hybrid motor vehicle. The hybrid motor vehicle can have at least a first vehicle seat, a second vehicle seat arranged adjacent to the first vehicle seat, a center console arranged therebetween, and a center tunnel arranged below the center console and a vehicle battery. The assembly can include a battery tray having an upwardly directed opening for receiving the vehicle battery which is arranged, or can be arranged, in the region of the center console between the first vehicle seat and the second vehicle seat.

To provide a vehicle drive device capable of efficiently driving a vehicle by using a motor without falling into the vicious cycle between enhancement of driving via the motor and an increase in vehicle weight. The present invention is a vehicle drive device (10) having a motor for driving the wheels of a vehicle and includes a front wheel motor (20) for driving front wheels (2b) of a vehicle (1) and a battery (18) and a capacitor (22) that supply electric power for driving the front wheel motor (20), in which the voltage of the battery (18) and the capacitor (22) connected in series is applied to the front wheel motor (20) and the capacitor (22) is disposed between the left and right front wheels (2b) of the vehicle (1).

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 vehicle drive device uses in-wheel motors to drive a vehicle and includes in-wheel motors that are provided in wheels of a vehicle and drive the wheels, a body side motor that is provided in a body of the vehicle and drives the wheels, and a controller that controls the in-wheel motors and the body side motor based on requested output power of a driver, in which the controller causes the body side motor to generate a driving force and the in-wheel motors not to generate driving forces when the requested output power of the driver is less than predetermined output power and the controller causes the body side motor and the in-wheel motors to generate driving forces when the requested output power of the driver is equal to or more than the predetermined output power.

A midfloor module (10, 11) for a motor vehicle has a frame structure (10) with a battery frame (10). The battery frame (10) has multiple battery modules (11), and multiple tank volumes (1, 2, 2+) that can be used optionally for fuel. A motor vehicle that is equipped with such a midfloor module (10, 11) also is provided as well as a method for manufacturing the midfloor module (10,11).

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.