IP Library › Granted Patent US 12691972
Granted Patent B2
US 12691972 · App. 19/290,163 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Electric vehicle including an interchangeable cargo and battery submodule

Inventor: James Matthew Nee (Mountain View, CA)
B62M6/90B60L50/66B62K5/02B60L2200/12B62M6/70
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691972
App. No.
19/290,163
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electric vehicle features a reverse tricycle frame with a longitudinal tube, steering housing, and suspension for dual front wheels. It employs an electric motor to drive the rear wheel and supports an interchangeable module. The module integrates a cargo compartment and a battery submodule beneath its floor. A module-mounted rail interface engages the frame-mounted rail, securing the module in two spatial dimensions, while a module-mounted electromechanical interface connects via translation to the frame-mounted electromechanical interface, locking the module in a third spatial dimension and electrically linking the battery to the motor.

Claims (48)

1 . An electric vehicle comprising:

a reverse tricycle frame comprising:

a longitudinal tube;

a steering housing tube coupled to the longitudinal tube and extending vertically from the longitudinal tube;

a suspension subframe coupled to the longitudinal tube forward of the steering housing tube and configured to suspend the electric vehicle over a pair of forward-mounted wheels;

a frame-mounted rail interface arranged over the suspension subframe between the pair of forward-mounted wheels; and

a frame-mounted electromechanical interface mounted to the steering housing tube;

an electric motor configured to drive a rear wheel of the electric vehicle; an interchangeable module comprising:

a module body;

a cargo compartment integrated with the module body;

a battery submodule arranged under a floor of the cargo compartment;

a module-mounted rail interface configured to engage with the frame-mounted rail interface to substantially constrain the interchangeable module in two spatial dimensions; and

a module-mounted electromechanical interface coupled to the module body and configured to:

engage with the frame-mounted electromechanical interface via translation of the interchangeable module along the frame-mounted rail interface to substantially constrain the interchangeable module in a third spatial dimension; and

electrically couple the battery submodule to the electric motor.

2 . The electric vehicle of claim 1 :

wherein the frame-mounted electromechanical interface comprises a rotary latch; and

wherein the module-mounted electromechanical interface comprises a striker.

3 . The electric vehicle of claim 1 :

wherein the frame-mounted electromechanical interface comprises a socket of a blind-mate connector; and

wherein the module-mounted electromechanical interface comprises an alignment feature of the blind-mate connector.

4 . The electric vehicle of claim 1 :

wherein the module-mounted rail interface is coupled to the battery submodule; and

wherein the battery submodule is separable from the module body via a battery-module body interface.

5 . The electric vehicle of claim 1 :

wherein the module-mounted rail interface is coupled to an underside of the module body;

and wherein the battery submodule is separable from the module body via a battery-module body interface.

6 . The electric vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism configured to substantially limit translation of the interchangeable module along the frame-mounted rail interface.

7 . The electric vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a solenoid-actuated locking pin mechanism.

8 . The electric vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising a user-facing interface configured to:

release the module-mounted electromechanical interface from the frame-mounted electromechanical interface;

and release the locking mechanism to enable translation of the interchangeable module along the frame-mounted rail interface.

9 . An electric vehicle comprising:

a reverse tricycle frame comprising:

a longitudinal tube;

a steering housing tube coupled to the longitudinal tube and extending from the longitudinal tube;

a suspension subframe coupled to the longitudinal tube forward of the steering housing tube and configured to suspend the electric vehicle over a pair of forward-mounted wheels;

a frame-mounted rail interface arranged over the suspension subframe between the pair of forward-mounted wheels; and

a frame-mounted electromechanical interface mounted to the steering housing tube;

an electric motor configured to drive a rear wheel of the electric vehicle;

an interchangeable module comprising:

a module body;

a cargo compartment integrated with the module body;

a battery submodule;

a module-mounted rail interface configured to engage with the frame-mounted rail interface to substantially constrain the interchangeable module in two spatial dimensions; and

a module-mounted electromechanical interface coupled to the module body and configured to:

engage with the frame-mounted electromechanical interface via translation of the interchangeable module along the frame-mounted rail interface to substantially constrain the interchangeable module in a third spatial dimension; and

electrically couple the battery submodule to the electric motor.