Low-floor electric bus

• US 9,252,417 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proterra Operating Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Proterra AG
• Inventors: Hill, Dale, Walker, Michael, Fields, Michael, Onorato, Shaun, Morris, Donald, Misencik, Stephen, Winkel, John
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/887,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20130240278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.29, 180/68.5, 180/65.31, 180/65.1, 180/313, 429/59, 429/129, 429/246, 429/60, 429/100, 320/116, 320/101, 320/109
• 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 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/20 the prime-movers consisting of electric motors and internal combustion engines, e.g. HEVs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/40 related to technical updates when adding new parts or software
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/04 Arrangement of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/24 including control of energy storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/1432 Low floor busses
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/15 : Fork lift trucks, Industrial trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 29/00 : Superstructures, understructures, or sub-units thereof, characterised by the material thereof B62D33/044, B62D33/048 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 29/02 : predominantly of wood
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 47/02 : for large numbers of passengers, e.g. omnibus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 : Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 : Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 : Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 : Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/485 : of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 : adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 : adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 : specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/509 : characterised by the type of connection, e.g. mixed connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/516 : by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The invention provides for a high occupancy or heavy-duty vehicle with a battery propulsion power source, which may include lithium titanate batteries. The vehicle may be all-battery or may be a hybrid, and may have a composite body. The vehicle battery system may be housed within the floor of the vehicle and may have different groupings and arrangements.

Claims

1. A low-floor electric bus comprising:

a floor made of a composite material, wherein a bottom surface of the floor includes one or more cavities; and

a battery power source mounted under the floor of the low-floor electric bus such that the floor inside the bus in an area that extends substantially an entire width of the bus between a front axle and a rear axle of the bus is substantially flat, wherein the battery power source includes a plurality of battery packs mounted in the one or more cavities such that one or more of the plurality of battery packs form exposed surfaces of an underside of the low-floor electric bus.

2. The low-floor electric bus of claim 1, wherein each battery pack of the plurality of packs has a height of 8 inches or less.

3. The low-floor electric bus of claim 2, wherein each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs has a height of 6.75 inches or less.

4. The low-floor electric bus of claim 1, further including a battery power source mounted on a roof of the bus.

5. The low-floor electric bus of claim 1, wherein the composite material of the floor comprises a first skin and a second skin with a core sandwiched between the first and the second skins.

6. The low-floor electric bus of claim 5, wherein the first and the second skins include fiber glass and the core includes balsa wood.

7. The low-floor electric bus of claim 1, wherein the one or more cavities permit mounting of the plurality of lithium titanate battery packs into the one or more cavities from below the underside of the low-floor electric bus.

8. The low-floor electric bus of claim 1, wherein the battery power source includes a plurality of lithium titanate battery packs.

9. The low-floor electric bus of claim 1, wherein the battery power source is configured to be charged to over 90% state of charge in ten minutes.

10. A low-floor electric bus, comprising:

a body made of a composite material;

a low-floor structure made of a composite material formed below a floor of the bus, wherein a bottom surface of the low-floor structure includes one or more cavities; and

a battery power source configured to be charged to over 90% state of charge in ten minutes, the battery power source being positioned in the one or more cavities such that a battery power source forms an exposed surface of an underside of the low-floor electric bus and the floor inside the bus in an area that extends substantially an entire width of the bus between a front axle and a rear axle of the bus is substantially flat.

11. The low-floor bus of claim 10, wherein the battery power source includes a plurality of battery packs, the plurality of battery packs including one or more lithium titanate battery packs.

12. The low-floor bus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of battery packs includes one or more battery packs having a battery chemistry different from the one or more lithium titanate battery packs.

13. The low-floor bus of claim 11, wherein each battery pack of the plurality of lithium titanate battery packs has a height of 8 inches or less.

14. The low-floor electric bus of claim 10, wherein the composite material of the body comprises a first skin and a second skin with a core sandwiched between the first and the second skins, and wherein the first and the second skins include fiber glass and the core includes balsa wood.

15. The low-floor electric bus of claim 10, wherein the one or more cavities permit mounting of the battery power source into the one or more cavities from below the underside of the low-floor electric bus.

16. A low-floor electric bus, comprising:

a body formed from a composite material as one piece;

a detachable drive assembly including a drive motor coupled to a rear of the body;

a floor made of a composite material, wherein a bottom surface of the floor incudes one or more cavities; and

a battery power source configured to provide power to the drive motor, the battery power source including a plurality of battery packs mounted in the one or more cavities such that the floor inside the bus in an area that extends substantially an entire width of the bus between a front axle and a rear axle of the bus is substantially flat, and one or more battery packs of the plurality of battery packs form exposed surfaces of an underside of the low-floor electric bus, wherein each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs have a height of 8 inches or less.

17. The low-floor electric bus of claim 16, wherein the composite material of the body comprises a balsa wood core sandwiched between fiber glass skin layers.

18. The low-floor electric bus of claim 16, wherein each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs is mounted in a cavity of the one or more cavities.

19. The low-floor electric bus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of battery packs includes one or more lithium titanate battery packs.

20. The low-floor electric bus of claim 16, wherein the battery power source is configured to be charged to over 90% state of charge in ten minutes.