Chrysler Corporation

Ronald A Zawacki

Min Sway-Tin

Joseph F Impullitti

Thaddeus Roterman

David S Meir

A system (10) and method for monitoring usage of current immediately available from the traction batteries (12) of an electric vehicle includes a means (18) for generating a signal representative of the current being drawn from the batteries (12); a means (20) for generating a signal representative of the maximum current available from the batteries (12) for immediate use; and a means (22) responsive to the drawn-current signal and the maximum-available-current signal for generating a usage signal representing the ratio of drawn current to maximum-available current. A display, such as an analog meter (24) responsive to the usage signal and calibrated from zero-percent to one-hundred-percent available current usage, displays the transitory current usage as a percentage of maximum-available current. Where the batteries (12) supply current to both the vehicle's traction motors (14) and noncritical electrical components (16), a relay (28) responsive to the usage signal sheds the noncritical component's load from the batteries (12) when current usage rises above a given level. A current limiter (30) responsive to the usage signal is preferably also provided to limit the supply of current to the traction motors (14) when current usage rises above a still higher level.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Ronald A Zawacki