Abstract: Embodiments include vehicles and battery modules in which a vent volume is provided within a battery module housing. Such a vent volume allows gases expelled from a venting cell to be directed away from the other cells in the module, thereby reducing a likelihood that a venting event in one of the cells will lead to a cascade of venting events in other cells.

Abstract: A motor vehicle has a tailgate 12 which is rotatable about a tailgate pivot axis 25 by means of a lower hinge between a vertical, closed position and a horizontal, open position. A spare wheel 11 is mounted in a vertical position behind the tailgate 12 when the tailgate is in the vertical position by means of a spare wheel carrier 13 and a hinge means 22 supporting the carrier 13 on the vehicle body structure. The hinge means 22 are arranged so that the spare wheel 11 is moved between the vertical position and a horizontal position below the tailgate 12 under the motion of the tailgate. The hinge means 22 has a pivot axis 25 which is forward of the tailgate pivot axis 30 in such a way that the spare wheel carrier 13 moves relative to the tailgate 12 towards the front of the vehicle when the tailgate 12 is moved to the open position. Hence, the spare wheel 11 does not extend significantly beyond the tailgate 12 when the tailgate is horizontal.