An object of this invention is to obtain a vehicle control apparatus with which departure over a bump can be identified accurately, and when departure over the bump is identified, a required driving force can be controlled to an appropriate value. A departure over bump identification unit identifies departure over a bump, in which an electric vehicle travels over the bump in order to depart, when a motor rotation speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined first rotation speed and an accelerator pedal depression amount remains at or above a predetermined accelerator pedal depression amount continuously for a predetermined first period, and a drive control unit sets a required driving force of a motor at zero, regardless of the accelerator pedal depression amount, and then increases the required driving force at a constant speed, when departure over the bump is identified.

An object of this invention is to obtain a vehicle control apparatus with which departure over a bump can be identified accurately, and when departure over the bump is identified, a required driving force can be controlled to an appropriate value. A departure over bump identification unit identifies departure over a bump, in which an electric vehicle travels over the bump in order to depart, when a motor rotation speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined first rotation speed and an accelerator pedal depression amount remains at or above a predetermined accelerator pedal depression amount continuously for a predetermined first period, and a drive control unit sets a required driving force of a motor at zero, regardless of the accelerator pedal depression amount, and then increases the required driving force at a constant speed, when departure over the bump is identified.

A vehicle control device includes at least one electronic control unit configured to acquire communication information from a surrounding vehicle, acquire a detection result of the traveling state of the surrounding vehicle, identify the surrounding vehicle as a particular vehicle, determine a link state between the surrounding vehicle and the host vehicle as a regular link while the surrounding vehicle is identified as the particular vehicle, identify the particular vehicle as a target vehicle, determine the link state between a lost vehicle and the host vehicle as a temporary link, the lost state being a state in which the target vehicle is not detected by the sensor, recognize the lost vehicle the link state of which has been changed from the regular link to the temporary link as the target vehicle while the link state is the temporary link, and control traveling of the host vehicle.

A control device for a hybrid vehicle carries out, when a vehicle travels in a downhill control section or a congestion control section, pre-charge/discharge control of changing a target state of charge (SOC) SOCcntr from a standard SOC SOCcntr-n to a specific SOC, and is within a permissible range, in a period in which the vehicle travels from a control start point (Ds) to at least a start point (Dk) of a subject downhill section or a subject congested section. Further, the control device is configured to inhibit, when return control is carried out while the pre-charge/discharge control is being carried out, the pre-charge/discharge control from a start time point (D5) of the return control to a time point (D9) at which the vehicle has passed through the control section. As a result, fuel efficiency can be improved when the return control is carried out during the pre-charge/discharge control.

A control device for a hybrid vehicle carries out, when a vehicle travels in a downhill control section or a congestion control section, pre-charge/discharge control of changing a target state of charge (SOC) SOCcntr from a standard SOC SOCcntr-n to a specific SOC, and is within a permissible range, in a period in which the vehicle travels from a control start point (Ds) to at least a start point (Dk) of a subject downhill section or a subject congested section. Further, the control device is configured to inhibit, when return control is carried out while the pre-charge/discharge control is being carried out, the pre-charge/discharge control from a start time point (D5) of the return control to a time point (D9) at which the vehicle has passed through the control section. As a result, fuel efficiency can be improved when the return control is carried out during the pre-charge/discharge control.

A utility vehicle comprises a plurality of ground engaging members and a frame supported by the plurality of ground engaging members. The frame includes a front frame portion, a mid-frame portion, and a rear frame portion. The utility vehicle further comprises an attachment supported at the front frame portion. Additionally, the utility vehicle includes an operator area supported by the frame and including an operator seat and an adjacent passenger seat spaced apart from the operator seat. The operator seat and the passenger seat are in a side-by-side arrangement. The utility vehicle also comprises an auxiliary power assembly having an attachment shaft configured to be operably coupled to the attachment. The attachment shaft extends in a generally longitudinal direction of the utility vehicle and projects outwardly from the front frame portion.

An apparatus for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes an engine; a drive motor; a battery; an electric supercharger configured to be installed in an intake line in which an intake air supplied to a combustion chamber of the engine flows; a navigation device configure to calculate a driving path from a starting point to a destination point and driving information; a controller configure to calculate a driving load from the driving path and the driving information calculated by the navigation device, determine an optimal SOC (state of charge) for each section from the starting point to destination point based on the driving load, determine a driving mode of the vehicle based on a required torque of driver and a driving mode of the battery to follow the optimal SOC for each section, and adjust an operating point of the engine.

A method and system for operating a vehicle having a trip information determination device that continuously determines a current position of the vehicle as current trip information, a transceiver that transmits the current trip information and vehicle information to an evaluation station, a driving strategy determination device that captures whether a bend is in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel, and, if a bend is captured the driving strategy determination device, an optimum driving strategy, in terms of energy consumption for driving through the bend. The determined driving strategy is transmitted from the evaluation station to the and therefore to the vehicle.

Provided is a pedal reactive force controller including: a reaction force adding unit for adding reaction force to a pedal operated by a driver; and an information transmission unit for converting a depression amount of the pedal detected by a stroke sensor into visual information, and conveying the depression amount to the driver by displaying the visual information in an operation amount display section.

Provided is a pedal reactive force controller including: a reaction force adding unit for adding reaction force to a pedal operated by a driver; and an information transmission unit for converting a depression amount of the pedal detected by a stroke sensor into visual information, and conveying the depression amount to the driver by displaying the visual information in an operation amount display section.