Patent ID: 8820444

Claim:
A motor vehicle, comprising: a chassis; a propulsion system attached to said chassis, said propulsion system comprising an electric motor operatively connected to drive at least one drive wheel; a battery module receptacle attached to said chassis, said battery module receptacle defined by two or more power couplings electrically connected to said propulsion system; a power mode selector device electrically connected between said two or more power couplings and said electric motor, said power mode selector device having: a series electrical orientation for electrically connecting two or more of said power couplings in series to said electrical motor, a parallel electrical orientation for electrically connecting two or more of said power couplings in parallel to said electric motor, and an individual electrical orientation for electrically connecting one of said power couplings to said electric motor; wherein said power mode selector can selectively connect one, two or more of said power couplings to said electric motor in one of either said series electrical orientation, said parallel electrical orientation, or coupled individually with said electric motor; and two or more battery modules selected from a group of battery modules configured to be insertable into said battery module receptacle and removeable therefrom, each battery module establishing electrical connection to one of said power couplings when inserted, each said battery module being interchangable with another battery module from said group; and wherein each battery module comprises a housing encasing a plurality of battery elements electrically interconnected to one another and to a module power coupling, said module power coupling cooperating with said battery module receptacle power coupling to electrically interconnect said power couplings when said module is inserted into said module receptacle, said housing further comprising a set of rollable wheels extending therefrom.