Chassis with structural battery compartment

1 . An electrified vehicle, comprising:

a chassis configured to support a tractive element, the chassis including a front axle, a rear axle, and a battery box, the battery box comprising:

a first portion disposed between the front axle and the rear axle and defining a first depth;

a second portion disposed above the rear axle and defining a second depth, the first depth greater than the second depth;

a shell defining an internal cavity, the first portion, and the second portion; and

a power distribution unit including a controller;

a body supported by the chassis; and

a cab supported by the chassis,

wherein the battery box is configured to:

receive a module, the module comprising a battery and a module terminal; and

transfer energy from the module to a plurality of components of the electrified vehicle, the internal cavity of the battery box comprising a system terminal configured to contact the module terminal of the module to facilitate the transfer of the energy from the module to the power distribution unit,

wherein the controller of the power distribution unit comprises at least one processor coupled with at least one memory device storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to:

receive the energy from the module, and

selectively direct the energy to at least one of the plurality of components of the electrified vehicle to be operated.

2 . The electrified vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a module protection layer disposed within the shell of the battery box, the module protection layer disposed along at least a part of an interior wall of the shell to protect the module from external forces and outside ambient conditions.

3 . The electrified vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the internal cavity of the battery box comprises:

a wall that divides the internal cavity into a first compartment and a second compartment, the wall configured to facilitate positioning of the module in the internal cavity of the battery box.

4 . The electrified vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the battery box further comprises a charge port configured to receive an electrical input from an external power source and provide the electrical input to the module to charge the battery of the module when the module is disposed within the internal cavity of the battery box.

5 . The electrified vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the battery box further comprises a thermal management system comprising a temperature sensor and at least one of a fan or a heating element, the thermal management system configured to control a temperature within the internal cavity of the battery box.

6 . The electrified vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the battery box comprises the fan and the heating element and the thermal management system is configured to control the temperature within the internal cavity of the battery box by:

receiving data indicative of a temperature within the internal cavity of the battery box from the temperature sensor; and

activating the fan based on the temperature being greater than a first threshold; or

activating the heating element based on the temperature being less than a second threshold.

7 . The electrified vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first portion extends a full width of the electrified vehicle and the second portion extends from the first portion toward a rear end of the electrified vehicle such that the second portion of the battery box is disposed above a rear axle of the electrified vehicle.

8 . The electrified vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the chassis further comprises a subframe, the subframe comprising at least one of a front subframe and a rear subframe, wherein the subframe is coupled to the battery box.

9 . The electrified vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the module further comprises a plurality of internal components,

wherein the plurality of internal components include at least one of the battery, associated cabling, a thermal management system, and a communication system.

10 . The electrified vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the battery box comprises a first width and the second portion of the battery box comprises a second width, the first width different from the second width.

11 . The electrified vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the first width is greater than the second width.

12 . The electrified vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the internal cavity of the battery box is configured to receive a plurality of modules, wherein the plurality of modules comprises a first module and a second module.

13 . The electrified vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the first module and the second module are electrically coupled with the power distribution unit, wherein the power distribution unit is configured to selectively direct the energy from the first module and the second module to the plurality of components of the electrified vehicle.

14 . The electrified vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of components of the electrified vehicle are operable when one of the first module and the second module is missing or out of energy.

15 . An electrified vehicle, comprising:

a chassis configured to support a tractive element, the chassis including a front axle and a rear axle;

a body supported by the chassis;

a cab supported by the chassis;

a battery box coupled to the chassis and configured to receive a module, the battery box comprising:

a power distribution unit including a controller,

a first portion disposed between the front axle and the rear axle, the first portion comprising a first depth and a first width, and

a second portion disposed above the rear axle, the second portion comprising a second depth and a second width, the first depth greater than the second depth, and the first width different from the second width; and

a plurality of components configured to receive power from the power distribution unit, wherein the controller of the power distribution unit comprises at least one processor coupled with at least one memory device storing instructions thereon, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to:

receive energy from the module, and

selectively direct the energy to at least one of the plurality of components of the electrified vehicle to be operated.

16 . The electrified vehicle of claim 15 , further comprising a front axle and a rear axle, wherein the first portion is disposed between the front axle and the rear axle and the second portion is disposed above the rear axle.

17 . The electrified vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the first width is greater than the second width.

18 . The electrified vehicle of claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules comprising a first module and a second module, the first module to be disposed in the first portion of the battery box and the second module to be disposed in the second portion of the battery box, the first module having a first module height based, at least partially, on the first depth and the second module having a second module height based, at least partially, on the second depth.

19 . A method of providing energy to a plurality of components of a vehicle, comprising:

receiving, by a chassis of the vehicle, a module comprising at least one electrical energy storage device configured to store the energy and a module terminal, the chassis configured to support a tractive element, the chassis comprising a front axle, a rear axle, and a battery box, the battery box comprising:

a system terminal,

a first portion disposed between the front axle and the rear axle and defining a first depth,

a second portion disposed above the rear axle and defining a second depth, the first depth greater than the second depth, and

a power distribution unit; and

transferring, by the chassis of the vehicle, the energy from the at least one electrical energy storage device of the module to the plurality of components of the vehicle, wherein the energy transfers from the module to the power distribution unit via the module terminal and to the plurality of components via the power distribution unit and the system terminal of the battery box, the power distribution unit selectively directing the energy to at least one of the plurality of components of the vehicle to be operated.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising receiving, by the chassis of the vehicle, supplemental energy comprising at least one of charging the at least one electrical energy storage device, replacing the at least one electrical energy storage device, and replacing the module.