Electric vehicles (EVs) are engineering marvels, offering smooth, vibration-free power, and eco-friendly transport. However, in the race to offer the most range, EVs nowadays are commonly equipped with large batteries, usually placed underneath the cabin in a “skateboard” layout, which – among other challenges – raises the floor and thus reduces passenger comfort. Toyota, though, may have a new solution that could solve the EV interior problem.
Filed to the US Patent and Trademark Office in June 2025 (patent no. 20260021715) and published around last week, Toyota’s new patent demonstrates a new way to package the typical EV platform, including its batteries and other major electrical components.
As reported by Autoblog, the concept as described by the patent still shows the battery mounted underneath the floor. But the big difference here is how the other key components – including cooling hardware and wiring – are spread across multiple layers, instead of being compressed into one thick and dense slab as it is commonly done today.
With the battery also forming as part of the vehicle’s structural framework, Toyota’s new platform design could potentially help reduce overall floor thickness, which allows for a lower seating position or increased headroom without altering the car’s exterior height.
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This could be particularly beneficial for smaller EVs, where a raised floor often results in an awkward driving position or compromised rear-seat comfort, by reclaiming space that’s usually sacrificed in today’s skateboard-style EVs. The change might not sound like much, but it could noticeably improve everyday comfort.
Safety is another major focus of the patent. By integrating the battery pack into the vehicle’s structure, Toyota can surround it with dedicated reinforcement sections designed to manage crash forces more effectively.
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Rather than relying on the battery enclosure alone for protection, impact energy from side or underbody collisions can be redirected through the surrounding structure, reducing the likelihood of battery deformation or cell damage. This layered approach also helps isolate individual battery modules, potentially limiting the spread of damage in the event of an accident.
Thermal management also appears to benefit from the revised layout. With components no longer crammed into a single compact layer, the patent suggests improved routing for both air- or liquid-based cooling systems.
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More evenly spaced battery modules allow for more consistent temperature control across the pack, reducing hotspots that can accelerate degradation or limit performance. This could be especially useful during fast charging or sustained high-load driving.
Just like most patent filings, this EV layout may never make it to production. But it is a typical example of Toyota’s Kaizen philosophy, which focuses on continuous and incremental improvement, showing how small innovations can lead to more comfortable, safer, and better-performing vehicles over time.
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