A hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine and an electric machine, both capable of providing torque to transmission gearing. A clutch is disposed between the engine and the electric machine and is configured to selectively couple the engine to the electric machine. At times in which control of the amount of engine torque transmitted to the gearing is desirable, a controller is programmed to slip the clutch. If the controller is able to determine the amount of torque transmitted through the slipping clutch, the controller alters an output of the electric machine based upon the torque through the clutch. If, however, the controller is unable to determine the amount of torque transmitted through the slipping clutch, the controller alters the output of the electric machine based upon an acceleration of the electric machine.

An apparatus and a method for controlling an engine operating point of a hybrid electric vehicle are provided to determine charging and discharging tendency based on a moving average of an engine torque and a demand torque as well as a dynamical event capture. The method includes detecting a demand torque of a driver and determining a charging and discharging tendency by calculating a moving average based on the demand torque. System efficiency is then reflected using a dynamical event capture and the charging and discharging tendency is leveled. A compensation amount of the operating point is also determined based on the leveling of the charging and discharging tendency and the operating point of the hybrid electric vehicle is adjusted based on the compensation amount of the operating point.

A hybrid module for a motor vehicle power train, including an input side for connecting to an internal combustion engine, an output side for connecting to a drive wheel, an electric drive motor comprising a stator and a rotor and a torque transfer device arranged between the roto and the output side. The transfer device is designed to reduce rotational irregularity.

On simultaneous shifts in which shift control of virtual gear positions overlaps shift control of mechanical gear positions, an electronic control unit is configured to delay output of a shift command on the virtual gear position such that shifts of the virtual gear position and the mechanical gear position are performed in synchronization. Therefore, the virtual gear position and the mechanical gear position are shifted in synchronization, irrespective of a difference between the shift response times, and the feeling of strangeness given to the driver due to shift shock, or the like, is suppressed.

An outboard motor for a marine vessel application, and related methods of making and operating same, are disclosed herein. In at least one embodiment, the outboard motor includes a horizontal-crankshaft engine in an upper portion of the outboard motor, positioned substantially positioned above a trimming axis of the outboard motor. In at least another embodiment, first, second and third transmission devices are employed to transmit rotational power from the engine to one or more propellers at a lower portion of the outboard motor. In at least a further embodiment, the outboard motor is made to include a rigid interior assembly formed by the engine, multiple transmission devices, and a further structural component. In further embodiments, the outboard motor includes numerous cooling, exhaust, and/or oil system components, as well as other transmission features.

A method for controlling a mild hybrid electric vehicle includes steps of: detecting data regarding the mild hybrid electric vehicle; determining a target torque of an engine according to the detected data; determining whether knocking of the engine occurs according to the detected data; determining a retardation amount of an ignition timing when it is determined that the knocking occurs; comparing the retardation amount of the ignition timing with a value; determining a loss amount of a combustion torque of the engine according to the retardation amount of the ignition timing when the retardation amount of the ignition timing is equal to or greater than the value; determining a target torque of a mild hybrid starter & generator (MHSG) according to the target torque of the engine and the loss amount of the combustion torque of the engine; and operating the MHSG to generate the target torque of the MHSG.

A power train for a hybrid vehicle may include a first transmission mechanism receiving a selective input of a power of an engine, and gear-shifting and transferring the power provided from the engine to a drive shaft through selection of engine-side gear mates that meet a traveling speed among a plurality of engine-side gear mates through a first control device, and a second transmission mechanism receiving an input of a power of a motor, and gear-shifting and transferring the powers provided from the engine and the motor to the drive shaft through selection of a motor-side gear mates that meet a traveling mode or the traveling speed among a plurality of motor-side gear mates through a second control device, wherein the second control device of the second transmission mechanism maintains one of the motor-side gear mates in a normally connected state to the drive shaft during traveling of the vehicle.

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle driveline are presented. In one example, a margin torque for closing a torque converter clutch is adjusted responsive to a state of engine operation.

A start control device of a vehicular direct injection engine provided in a vehicle is configured to execute an ignition start to raise rotation of the direct injection engine at a start of the direct injection engine by fuel injection and multiple sparking performed for a predetermined cylinder in an expansion stroke out of multiple cylinders of the direct injection engine, the start control device of a vehicular direct injection engine reduces the number of times of sparking for the predetermined cylinder at the time of an ignition start of the direct injection engine as compared to an ignition start performed before the current ignition start based on ignition timing of the ignition start performed before the current ignition start.

A vehicle includes a starter motor, an engine having an output mechanically coupled to the starter motor, a transmission having an input, and an electric machine mechanically coupled to the transmission input. The vehicle further includes a clutch configured to mechanically couple the electric machine and the output of the engine, and at least one controller. The at least one controller is programmed to initiate an engine start based on driver demand. The controller is further configured to enable pressure to the clutch for the engine start if driver demand is less than a calibratable torque value or enable the starter motor for the engine start if the driver demand is greater than a calibratable torque value. The controller may lock the clutch to the output of the engine in response to the speed of the engine being approximately equal to the speed of the electric machine.