Electric vehicle

• US 9,162,558 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2009
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Stenberg, Kurt E., Notaro, Joel M., Leonard, Josh J., Crain, Stephen G., Sabourin, Dennis P., Olsen, Russ G., Wimpfheimer, Cory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLEMMONS, STEVE M
• Application Number:
  US12/484,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20100314184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,318 Days
• Field of Search: 180/58, 180/60, 180/68.5, 180/291, 180/65.1, 180/233, 180/242, 180/245, 180/246, 180/248
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 17/346 the transfer gear being a differential gear
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A utility vehicle is disclosed having an electric drive. The drivetrain is comprised of batteries, a motor, a transaxle driven by the motor, a rear differential driven by the transaxle, and a prop shaft which is driven by the transaxle and drives a front differential. The batteries are provided in two groups and are supported on the frame of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle, comprising:

a frame having first and second ends and a seat supporting portion therebetween;

a plurality of ground engaging members supporting the frame;

a plurality of batteries supported by the frame intermediate the first and second ends and divided into a plurality of groups of batteries leaving at least one longitudinal opening therebetween;

an electronic controller mounted transversely in the longitudinal opening;

a first differential supported by the frame adjacent the first end;

a second differential supported by the frame adjacent the second end;

an electric motor supported by the frame adjacent the first end and operatively connected to the first differential; and

a prop shaft operatively connected to the motor and extending through the longitudinal opening and operatively connected to the second differential.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first end is a rear end of the vehicle frame.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a transaxle connected to the motor having a rearwardly directed drive operatively connected to the first differential and a forwardly directed drive operatively connected to the prop shaft.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the frame is comprised of plural longitudinally extending frame members, and the seat supporting portion is comprised of plural crossbars extending laterally across, and elevated from, the frame members, the electronic controller is mounted to the crossbars and extends downwardly into the longitudinal opening.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the groups of batteries are connected to each other in parallel and the batteries within each group are serially connected to each other.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the batteries are separated into two groups of batteries and the longitudinal opening is positioned generally centrally relative to the lateral width of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the batteries are electrically connected to the electronic controller and of the electrical connections to and from the electronic controller are made to one face of the electronic controller.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a seat bottom support, wherein the batteries are positioned with the seat supporting portion and the seat bottom support is positioned over the seat supporting portion and over the batteries.

9. An electric vehicle, comprising:

a frame having a front end and a rear end;

a plurality of batteries supported by the frame;

an electric motor mounted adjacent a rear end of the frame;

a rear differential mounted adjacent a rear end of the frame and operatively connected to the electric motor; and

a front differential and overrunning clutch operatively connected to the electric motor.

10. The electric vehicle of claim 9, wherein the overrunning clutch engages when the front differential slips by a predetermined percentage.

11. The electric vehicle of claim 10, wherein the predetermined percentage is between 10%-30%.

12. The electric vehicle of claim 9, wherein the motor is an AC motor.

13. The electric vehicle of claim 9, wherein the plurality of batteries are divided into two groups leaving a center longitudinal opening therebetween, the two groups of batteries are connected to each other in parallel and the batteries within each group are serially connected to each other.

14. The electric vehicle of claim 13, wherein each group of batteries is comprised of four-twelve volt batteries.

15. An all wheel drive electric vehicle, comprising:

a frame having first and second ends;

a plurality of ground engaging members supporting the frame;

first and second drive linkages positioned proximate the first and second ends and operatively connected to ground engaging members at the first and second ends;

a motor attached to the frame first end and operatively connected to the first and second drive linkages; and

a plurality of batteries supported by the frame intermediate the first and second ends, the batteries defining a plurality of groups of batteries electrically connected in parallel and the individual batteries within each group being electrically connected in series.

16. The electric vehicle of claim 15, wherein the groups of batteries define at least one center longitudinal opening therebetween.

17. The electric vehicle of claim 16, further comprising an electronic controller mounted in the center longitudinal opening.

18. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the frame is comprised of plural longitudinally extending frame members and the seat supporting portion is comprised of plural crossbars extending laterally across, and elevated from, the frame members.

19. The electric vehicle of claim 18, wherein the frame further comprises a support shelf positioned on the longitudinally extending frame members, and the plurality of batteries are supported by the support shelf.

20. The electric vehicle of claim 19, wherein further comprising a seat bottom positioned over the plurality of batteries.

21. An all wheel drive electric vehicle, comprising:

a frame having first and second ends;

a plurality of ground engaging members supporting the frame;

first and second drive linkages positioned proximate the first and second ends and operatively connected to ground engaging members at the first and second ends;

a motor attached to the frame first end and operatively connected to the first and second drive linkages;

a plurality of batteries supported by the frame intermediate the first and second ends, the batteries defining a plurality of groups of batteries electrically connected in parallel and the individual batteries within each group being electrically connected in series, the groups of batteries defining at least one center longitudinal opening therebetween; and

an electronic controller mounted in the center longitudinal opening.