Hyundai and Kia need to mix battery-pack circumstances with car structural parts for higher packaging effectivity.
In a patent submitting printed by the US Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) Nov. 14, 2024, and first submitted by the automakers to that company Oct. 26, 2023, Hyundai and Kia talk about having a car’s flooring double because the higher panel of a battery pack case. This might make higher use of obtainable area, permitting extra modules to be fitted, the automakers argue.
Hyundai and Kia battery case flooring patent picture
This might extra carefully combine the battery pack with the car’s construction, a number of main parts of which might connect to the ground panel that additionally serves because the higher battery case panel. These embody aspect sills and cross members, with a few of the latter probably blended with the ground panel by utilizing an extrusion fabrication technique.
Battery modules could be positioned beneath the ground, probably in voids not occupied by crossmembers, with entrance and rear boundaries defending the pack and built-in with the aspect sills, the automakers say within the submitting.
Hyundai and Kia battery case flooring patent picture
Different firms have additionally explored structural battery packs. Tesla outlined its personal design at its 2020 Battery Day, claiming on the time {that a} structural battery would provide a ten% mass discount, a possible 14% vary improve, and 370 fewer components with battery cells basically included as a part of a honeycomb in opposition to the underside of the car flooring. Startup Canoo made structural batteries a part of its distinctive skateboard platform, however retaining modules whereas nonetheless claiming a 90-pound weight discount.
Final 12 months, Chinese language startup Neta Auto stated it was working with battery provider CATL to ditch battery packs and integrates cells straight with a car’s chassis, taking CATL’s cell-to-pack tech one step additional. Past that, researchers have additionally checked out utilizing physique panels as batteries, though the assorted structural battery pack ideas are doubtless nearer to manufacturing.
