CONNECTING AND INTEGRATING ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

A method of integrating an electrical system includes providing a chassis and mounting a body to the chassis, such that a storage compartment of the body extends longitudinally along the chassis between a front end and a rear end. After mounting the body to the chassis, the method includes shifting a center of gravity away from a powered tailgate at the rear end of the body by attaching a DC-DC converter to the chassis or the body at a frontal location that is within a longitudinal space containing a battery pack electrically coupled to a propulsion motor of the chassis. Next, the method includes receiving, with the DC-DC converter, electrical power from the battery pack at an input DC voltage; and providing, with the DC-DC converter, electrical power to a plurality of electric-motor-driven components of the body at one or more output DC voltages that are lower than the input DC voltage.