Rear drive electric vehicle

• US 5,562,178 A
• Filed: 05/08/1995
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Hybrid Technologies, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Solectria Corporation
• Inventors: Trembly, Edward D., Worden, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YU, MIN SON
• Application Number:
  US08/438,111
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.6, 180/291, 180/292, 180/297, 180/299, 180/55, 180/56, 180/57, 180/60, 180/62
• US Class Current: 180/291
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/04 characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of gearing electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/16 of differential gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/22 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of main drive shafting, e.g. cardan shaft

Abstract

A new vehicle layout in which one or more electric driving motors are located to the rear of the vehicle'"'"'s rear axle, and connected to a drive shaft that drives the vehicle'"'"'s rear axle through a rearwards facing differential. This arrangement leaves the entire underside of the vehicle running from the front axle available to accommodate batteries or other large bulky devices.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising a front axle and a rear axle and at least one electric motor having a motor shaft connected through a transmission and a drive shaft to the rear axle, the improvement wherein the said at least one electric motor is located behind the rear axle with its motor shaft facing the rear end of the vehicle, said transmission being located behind the at least one motor and connected to one end of said drive shaft, the other end of which drive shaft drives the rear axle from the rear, and wherein said electric motor shaft runs parallel to the drive shaft.

2. In an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said rear axle is connected to said drive shaft through a differential.

3. In an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said transmission includes a main pulley which is driven through a belt by a second pulley which in turn is driven by said electric motor shaft.

4. In an electric vehicle according to claim 1, and comprising a pair of electric motors.