US 12,351,014 B2
Optimized AC powered auxiliary units for medium/heavy duty configurable electric trucks
Robert L. Grinstead, Chisago City, MN (US); and William Brandt, White Bear Lake, MN (US)
Assigned to Zeus Electric Chassis, Inc., White Bear Lake, MN (US)
Filed by Zeus Electric Chassis, Inc., White Bear Lake, MN (US)
Filed on Aug. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/881,395.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/230,004, filed on Aug. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0202280 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
Int. Cl. B60K 1/04 (2019.01); B60L 1/00 (2006.01); B60L 50/51 (2019.01); B60L 50/60 (2019.01); H02B 1/20 (2006.01); A62C 31/00 (2006.01); B60K 1/00 (2006.01); B60K 25/00 (2006.01); B62D 33/077 (2006.01)
CPC B60K 1/04 (2013.01) [B60L 1/003 (2013.01); B60L 50/51 (2019.02); B60L 50/66 (2019.02); H02B 1/20 (2013.01); A62C 31/00 (2013.01); B60K 2001/006 (2013.01); B60K 25/00 (2013.01); B60L 2200/36 (2013.01); B60L 2210/40 (2013.01); B62D 33/077 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A zero-emission configurable electric truck that uses high-voltage, battery-powered electrical energy for both motive power and auxiliary powered unit power, the zero-emission configurable electric truck being a medium/heavy duty class of truck having a chassis frame configured to interface with any of a set of multiple configurable rear payload modules and a gross vehicle weight rating above 10,000 lbs, the zero-emission configurable electric truck comprising:
a central frame having a pair of main frame rails configured to support at least two battery modules;
a front subframe configured to support a front axle assembly and a cab, the front subframe including a pair of upper frame members operably connected to the corresponding pair of the main frame rails; and
a rear subframe configured to support at least one rear axle assembly and a rear payload module selected from one of the set of multiple configurable rear payload modules, the rear subframe including a pair of rear frame rails transversely connected by at least a pair of cross members and operably connected to the corresponding pair of main frame rails,
wherein at least one of the front axle assembly and the rear axle assembly includes at least one electric motive motor powered by a battery management system configured to manage generation and distribution of alternating-current (AC) electrical power from the at least two battery modules to the at least one electric motive motor to provide motive power to the zero-emission configurable electric truck and to at least one auxiliary power unit (APU) to provide auxiliary power to the rear payload module,
wherein the at least one APU includes multiple APUs in which each APU is configured to be carried by the zero-emission configurable electric truck and each APU is provided with its own DC-to-AC inverter to allow each APU to be optimized independent of any other APU power or motive power requirements.