US Patent 9034502 Battery installation structure for electric vehicles

A battery tray is fixed onto a front battery cross member lower and a rear battery cross member lower. The battery pack is mounted on the battery tray. The front battery cross member lower and the rear battery cross member lower come into contact with a deformable zone of the battery tray and the end face of each of battery cross member uppers at attachment portions. Space is created between the battery pack and the battery cross member uppers. The battery cross member uppers are welded so that a deformable zone having relatively low rigidity is formed. In this way, the front battery cross member lower and the rear battery cross member lower are fixed to a pair of side members through the battery cross member uppers.