Group of Motor Vehicles

Abstract

In a group of motor vehicles of one vehicle type with three different drive concepts (“internal combustion drive”, “electric drive” or “hybrid drive”), the architecture of the motor vehicles having an electric drive is used to produce the motor vehicles of all three drive concepts. Irrespective of the drive concept, two variations of an elevated floor panel assembly are used, each of the two floor panel assemblies having a frame-like supporting structure. The first floor panel assembly is provided for the vehicles having an electric drive. Here, the battery is used as a supporting structural component and significantly takes over the reinforcement of the frame-like floor panel assembly. A second floor panel assembly is provided for the vehicles having a hybrid drive and having an internal combustion drive. In the second floor panel assembly, at least one reinforcing additional component is provided in order to provide sufficient structural rigidity.

1 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A motor vehicle group of a vehicle type, the group comprising:
 motor vehicles with three different drive concepts, wherein   the three different drive concepts comprise an internal combustion engine (“combustion drive”) or an electric motor (“electric drive”) or a combination of an internal combustion engine and at least one electric motor (“hybrid drive”), wherein   a uniform front end assembly with front longitudinal members is provided for all three different drive concepts,   two floor panel assemblies are provided, a height of which is identical in an installation position in the motor vehicle,   body-in-white structures of the “electric drive” motor vehicles have a first of the two floor panel assemblies,   body-in-white structures of the “internal combustion engine” motor vehicles and the “hybrid drive” motor vehicles have a second of the two floor panel assemblies,   the motor vehicles with “electric drive” and the motor vehicles with “hybrid drive” have at least one battery arranged over a large area under the floor panel assembly,   both of the two floor panel assemblies are of frame-like construction, comprising two side longitudinal members, a front cross member connecting front end portions of the side longitudinal members, a rear cross member connecting rear end regions of the side longitudinal members, and at least one middle cross member connecting the two side longitudinal members, which middle cross member is arranged between the front and rear cross members so as to form at least two frame portions delimited by the side longitudinal members and the cross members, wherein   the front cross member and its connecting region with the front longitudinal members are formed in such a way that forces are introduced from the front longitudinal members into the front cross member without further extension of the connecting region on the underside of the floor panel assemblies,   in the first floor panel assembly, in the installed position in the motor vehicle, all frame portions are stiffened by the at least one battery, whereas   in the second floor panel assembly, at least one frame portion is provided with a stiffening add-on component.   
     
     
         13 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 12 , wherein,
 the stiffening add-on component is connected to the longitudinal and/or transverse members by bolting.   
     
     
         14 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 12 , wherein,
 a flat closure component is positioned in at least one frame portion of the floor panel assemblies.   
     
     
         15 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 12 , wherein,
 in the case of the motor vehicles with the “hybrid drive” and/or with the “electric drive”, the at least one battery is connected to the floor panel assembly by bolting.   
     
     
         16 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 15 , wherein,
 the side longitudinal members and/or the cross members have a hole pattern with a plurality of bolting points which is configured for bolting together different batteries,   wherein the bolting points for connecting the different batteries are at least partially identical.   
     
     
         17 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 12 , wherein,
 in the case of the motor vehicles with the “combustion drive” and in the case of the motor vehicles with the “hybrid drive”, at least one fuel tank is provided on the underside of the floor panel assembly.   
     
     
         18 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 12 , wherein,
 in the case of the “hybrid drive” motor vehicles, the fuel tank and the battery extend over virtually the entire width of the floor panel assembly and are arranged one behind the other as viewed in a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle.   
     
     
         19 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 12 , wherein,
 in the “hybrid drive” motor vehicles, the fuel tank and the battery extend only over part of a width of the floor panel assembly and are arranged side by side as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle.   
     
     
         20 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 19 , wherein,
 a free space for at least one component of an exhaust system is provided between the fuel tank and the battery.   
     
     
         21 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 17 , wherein,
 the fuel tank and/or the battery, as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, extend into a region below rear seats of the motor vehicle and/or into a region of a rear axle of the motor vehicle and have a greater overall height in this rear region than in their front region.   
     
     
         22 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 18 , wherein,
 the fuel tank and/or the battery, as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, extend into a region below rear seats of the motor vehicle and/or into a region of a rear axle of the motor vehicle and have a greater overall height in this rear region than in their front region.   
     
     
         23 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 19 , wherein,
 the fuel tank and/or the battery, as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, extend into a region below rear seats of the motor vehicle and/or into a region of a rear axle of the motor vehicle and have a greater overall height in this rear region than in their front region.   
     
     
         24 . The motor vehicle group according to  claim 12 , wherein
 in the case of the motor vehicles with the “combustion drive”, at least one housing and/or a fastening device for at least one component of the motor vehicle is provided on the underside of the floor panel assembly.