Mobility-assist hybrid conversion vehicles and methods of manufacturing the same

1. A method of producing a mobility assist hybrid vehicle from a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle having at least first and second rows of occupant seating located at respective first and second longitudinal positions along a length of the hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle also having a hybrid battery, the method comprising:

removing the hybrid battery;

removing at least a portion of a floor of the hybrid vehicle, the removed portion of the floor including at least a portion of the floor extending from about the first longitudinal position to about the second longitudinal position;

mounting a replacement floor assembly to the hybrid vehicle, the replacement floor assembly defining a battery well sized to receive the hybrid battery, the battery well being located at about the first longitudinal position, the replacement floor assembly also being configured to receive a mobility access system at about the second longitudinal position;

mounting the hybrid battery within the battery well of the replacement floor assembly;

placing a first cover plate over the hybrid battery;

mounting the mobility access system to the replacement floor assembly; and

placing a second cover plate over the mobility access system, the first and second cover plates defining a substantially flat interior floor area for the first and second rows of occupant seating.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising electrically connecting the hybrid battery to said wheelchair-accessible hybrid vehicle using unmodified existing components of the hybrid vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said electrically connecting the hybrid battery to said wheelchair-accessible hybrid vehicle further comprises electrically connecting the hybrid battery using an unmodified existing battery wiring harness of the hybrid vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein mounting the mobility access system to the replacement floor assembly comprises mounting an in-floor deployable ramp system to the replacement floor assembly.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein mounting the mobility access system to the replacement floor assembly comprises mounting a folding in-floor deployable ramp system to the replacement floor assembly.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the replacement floor assembly defines an exhaust pipe channel therein, and wherein said method further comprises:

removing an exhaust system from the hybrid vehicle; and

installing a replacement exhaust system, a portion of the replacement exhaust system passing through the exhaust pipe channel defined by the replacement floor assembly.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the replacement exhaust system comprises a muffler, and wherein said installing the replacement exhaust system further comprises mounting a muffler at a location aft of the rear suspension assembly.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid vehicle comprises a rear suspension assembly and a fuel tank, the fuel tank being located at a position forward of the rear suspension assembly, wherein said method further comprises:

removing the fuel tank from the hybrid vehicle; and

installing a replacement fuel tank at a location aft of the rear suspension assembly.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

removing the rear suspension assembly from the hybrid vehicle;

attaching rear body lift brackets to the hybrid vehicle; and

mounting the rear suspension assembly to the rear body lift brackets.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

removing a front suspension assembly from the hybrid vehicle;

attaching front body lift brackets to the hybrid vehicle; and

mounting the front suspension assembly to the front body lift brackets.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid vehicle comprises an all-wheel drive hybrid vehicle having a combined rear suspension and drive motor assembly, wherein said method further comprises:

removing the combined rear suspension and drive motor assembly from the hybrid vehicle;

attaching rear body lift brackets to the hybrid vehicle; and

mounting the combined rear suspension and drive motor assembly to the rear body lift brackets.

12. A method of producing a wheelchair-accessible hybrid vehicle from an hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle having at least first and second rows of occupant seating located at respective first and second longitudinal positions along a length of the hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle also having a hybrid battery, the method comprising:

removing at least a portion of a floor of the hybrid vehicle, the removed portion of the floor including at least a portion of the floor that extends from about the first longitudinal position to about the second longitudinal position;

mounting a replacement floor assembly to the hybrid vehicle, the replacement floor assembly defining a battery compartment sized to receive the hybrid battery, the battery compartment being located at about the first longitudinal position;

positioning the hybrid battery within the battery compartment of the replacement floor assembly;

placing a cover over the electric storage battery; and

mounting a mobility access system to the replacement floor assembly at about the second longitudinal position to produce said wheelchair-accessible hybrid vehicle, portions of said replacement floor assembly and said cover defining a substantially flat interior floor area that extends substantially continuously from about the first longitudinal position to about the second longitudinal position.