Vehicle battery pack ballistic shield

1. A vehicle battery pack protection system, comprising:

a battery pack enclosure mounted under an electric vehicle, wherein said battery pack enclosure comprises an enclosure top panel, an enclosure bottom panel, and a plurality of enclosure side members, wherein said battery pack enclosure is configured to hold a plurality of batteries, and wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a passenger cabin floor panel and a driving surface;

a ballistic shield mounted under said electric vehicle and below said battery pack enclosure, wherein said ballistic shield is interposed between said battery pack enclosure and said driving surface, and wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 5 millimeters; and

a plurality of stand-offs, wherein said plurality of stand-offs are interposed between said ballistic shield and said enclosure bottom panel.

2. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1 , wherein said battery pack enclosure is substantially airtight.

3. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1 , wherein said enclosure top panel, said enclosure bottom panel, and said plurality of enclosure side members are each fabricated from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys and steel.

4. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1 , wherein said enclosure bottom panel is welded, brazed, soldered or bonded to said plurality of enclosure side members, and wherein said enclosure top panel is bolted to said plurality of enclosure side members.

5. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1 , wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a first vehicle structural side member located adjacent to a first side of said vehicle and a second vehicle structural side member located adjacent to a second side of said vehicle, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a front vehicle suspension assembly and a rear vehicle suspension assembly, wherein said battery pack enclosure transverses the distance between said first vehicle structural side member and said second vehicle structural side member, wherein a first side member of said plurality of enclosure side members is mechanically coupled to said first vehicle structural side member and a second side member of said plurality of enclosure side members is mechanically coupled to said second vehicle structural side member, wherein said battery pack enclosure further comprises a plurality of cross-members integrated into said battery pack enclosure, wherein each of said plurality of cross-members transverses the distance between said first and second side members of said battery pack enclosure, and wherein said plurality of cross-members segregate said plurality of batteries into groups of batteries.

6. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 5 , wherein said first vehicle structural side member is a left side rocker panel, and wherein said second vehicle structural side member is a right side rocker panel.

7. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1 , wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 10 millimeters.

8. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1 , wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 15 millimeters.

9. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1 , wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 25 millimeters.

10. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1 , wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 35 millimeters.

11. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1 , wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 50 millimeters.

12. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 1 , wherein said ballistic shield is comprised of a material selected from the group of materials consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, steel, fiberglass, carbon fiber/epoxy composites, and plastic.

13. A vehicle battery pack protection system comprising:

a battery pack enclosure mounted under an electric vehicle, wherein said battery pack enclosure comprises an enclosure to panel an enclosure bottom panel, and a plurality of enclosure side members, wherein said battery pack enclosure is configured to hold a plurality of batteries, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a passenger cabin floor panel and a driving surface, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a first vehicle structural side member located adjacent to a first side of said vehicle and a second vehicle structural side member located adjacent to a second side of said vehicle, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a front vehicle suspension assembly and a rear vehicle suspension assembly, wherein said battery pack enclosure transverses the distance between said first vehicle structural side member and said second vehicle structural side member, wherein a first side member of said plurality of enclosure side members is mechanically coupled to said first vehicle structural side member and a second side member of said plurality of enclosure side members is mechanically coupled to said second vehicle structural side member, wherein said battery pack enclosure further comprises a plurality of cross-members integrated into said battery pack enclosure, wherein each of said plurality of cross-members transverses the distance between said first and second side members of said battery pack enclosure, and wherein said plurality of cross-members segregate said plurality of batteries into groups of batteries;

a ballistic shield mounted under said electric vehicle and below said battery pack enclosure, wherein said ballistic shield is interposed between said battery pack enclosure and said driving surface, and wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel at least 5 millimeters; and

a plurality of stand-offs, wherein said plurality of stand-offs are interposed between said ballistic shield and said enclosure bottom panel, and wherein said plurality of stand-offs are coupled to an outer surface of said enclosure bottom panel adjacent to mounting locations of said plurality of cross-members mounted to an inner surface of said enclosure bottom panel.

14. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13 , wherein said enclosure top panel, said enclosure bottom panel, and said plurality of enclosure side members are each fabricated from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys and steel.

15. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13 , wherein said enclosure bottom panel is welded, brazed, soldered or bonded to said plurality of enclosure side members, and wherein said enclosure top panel is bolted to said plurality of enclosure side members.

16. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13 , wherein said first vehicle structural side member is a left side rocker panel, and wherein said second vehicle structural side member is a right side rocker panel.

17. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13 , wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 10 millimeters.

18. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13 , wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 25 millimeters.

19. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13 , wherein said ballistic shield is spaced apart from said enclosure bottom panel by at least 50 millimeters.

20. The vehicle battery pack protection system of claim 13 , wherein said ballistic shield is comprised of a material selected from the group of materials consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, steel, fiberglass, carbon fiber/epoxy composites, and plastic.