Patent ID: 7497285
Filing Date: 2009-03-03
Classification: B60K,B60W,B60Y,Y02T,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A vehicle comprising: a first drive axle including two wheels for driving the vehicle and a second drive axle including two wheels for driving the vehicle, wherein said two wheels of at least one of said two drive axles are also steerable for steering the vehicle; a dual-rotor electric traction motor for selectively driving simultaneously the wheels of the two drive axles, said dual-rotor motor including a first rotor for driving the wheels of said first drive axle and a second rotor for driving the wheels of said second drive axle, wherein when the dual-rotor motor is energized said two rotors are propelled to rotate in opposite directions under the action of the same electromagnetic forces, and wherein said opposite directions of rotation of the two rotors are reversible; an electric power source for supplying the dual-rotor motor with electric energy, said electric power source including an electric battery for storing electric energy and selectively supplying the dual-rotor motor with electric energy and an electric generator for charging said electric battery and selectively supplying the dual-rotor motor with electric energy; an internal-combustion engine for selectively driving said electric generator or the wheels of the first drive axle and the electric generator; a clutch for selectively interrupting the transmission of mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the wheels of the first drive axle; and a central electronic controller arranged and programmed to control and coordinate the operation of the dual-rotor motor, internal-combustion engine, and said clutch, for operating the vehicle in a plurality of drive modes and charging the electric battery, wherein said plurality of drive modes includes: a forward/low-speed/four-wheel-drive mode, wherein at speeds of the vehicle lower than a predetermined speed the clutch is disengaged, the dual-rotor motor alone drives the vehicle, and the internal-combustion engine drives the electric generator or rests; a forward/high-speed/two-wheel-drive mode, wherein at speeds of the vehicle higher than said predetermined speed the clutch is engaged, the internal-combustion engine alone drives the vehicle while also driving the electric generator, and the dual-rotor motor does not operate, a forward/high-speed/four-wheel-drive mode, wherein at speeds of the vehicle higher than the predetermined speed the clutch is engaged and both the internal-combustion engine and the dual-rotor motor together drive the vehicle; and a reverse/four-wheel-drive mode, wherein the clutch is disengaged, said opposite directions of rotation of both rotors are reversed, the dual-rotor motor alone drives the vehicle backward, and the internal-combustion engine drives the electric generator or rests.