US Patent 9199537 Automobile with vehicle drive motor

A technology for mitigating a collision impact applied to a power controller positioned in a front compartment is provided. An automobile has a power controller and device in the front compartment. The power controller and the device are positioned side by side in an automobile lateral direction. A corner or protrusion of the power controller faces a lateral surface of the device. When the automobile collides with an obstacle, the lateral surface of the device comes into contact with the corner of the power controller. Because the lateral surface of the device is weaker than the corner of the power controller, the device breaks first. The device functions as a cushioning material to mitigate damage suffered by the power controller.