A powertrain for a vehicle includes a combustion engine and a drivetrain having a coupling with a first state of operation in which the input of the coupling is locked to the output of the coupling, and a second state of operation in which the input of the coupling is not locked to the output of the coupling for allowing slippage. The drivetrain also has a final drive configured for supplying torque to a drive wheel from the coupling, wherein the final drive is coupled to the coupling at a fixed gear ratio. The powertrain further includes one or more electric motors configured to supply torque to the drivetrain one or both of the input side and the output side of the coupling.

A road vehicle with an electric drive having: a heat engine provided with a carrier shaft; a gearbox; at least one pump actuated by a carrier shaft; at least a reversible electric machine; a first mechanical transmission, which transmits the motion from the drive shaft of the heat engine to the carrier shaft and is provided with a first freewheel; a second mechanical transmission, which transmits the motion from the shaft of the electric machine to the carrier shaft and is provided with a second freewheel; and a third mechanical transmission, which is arranged in parallel to the second mechanical transmission, transmits the motion from the shaft of the electric machine to the carrier shaft, is provided with a third freewheel and reverses the direction of motion with respect to the second mechanical transmission.

Provided is a control system (1) for a hybrid vehicle (8) which is configured to directly transmit an output of an internal combustion engine (2) to a driven wheel (17) via a lockup clutch (18) and transmit an output of an electric motor is to the driven wheel by disengaging the lockup clutch depending on an operating state of the vehicle. The control system is configured to activate a warning unit (36, 37) when the oil pressure is below a prescribed oil pressure threshold value and the rotational speed of the engine detected by the rotary encoder is higher than a rotational speed threshold value. The rotational speed threshold value is a first threshold value when the lockup clutch is fully disengaged, and a second threshold value higher than the first threshold value when the lockup clutch is fully engaged, being engaged and being disengaged.

A powertrain (12) for a vehicle (10) is disclosed. The powertrain (12) comprises: a combustion engine (24), (ii) a drivetrain (14) having a torque converter (32) with a first state of operation in which the input (34) of the torque converter (32) is locked to the output (36) of the torque converter (32) and a second state of operation in which the input (34) of the torque converter (32) is not locked to the output (36) of the torque converter (32) for allowing slippage. The drivetrain also has a final drive (44) for supplying torque to the drive wheel (16) from the torque converter (32), wherein the final drive (44) is coupled to the torque converter (32) at a fixed gear ratio. The powertrain (12) further comprises: (iii) a first electric motor (28) configured to supply torque to the drivetrain (14) on the output-side of the torque converter (32).

System and methods are provided for improving fuel economy of a hybrid vehicle. A hybrid vehicle may include an EV driving mode, where the motor alone powers the hybrid vehicle. However, use of such a driving mode may be limited to conditions involving low drive force and power requests due to motor and battery power specifications. In some circumstances, the conditions during which the motor can be used to power the hybrid vehicle can be expanded. Such conditions may include instances where the driver only seeks light accelerations for a short period of time. Such an expanded EV mode may be triggered when the hybrid vehicle is travelling a downhill grade.

An apparatus for cooling a motor of a hybrid vehicle includes a support ring that is disposed between a motor casing and a motor and has a shape that encloses the motor. A water jacket is formed in the support ring and circulates cooling water and an oil jacket is formed in a support ring and circulates oil. Further, oil is discharged from the oil jacket is sprayed onto the motor to enable the oil to be used to cool the motor and to enable cooling water to be used to cool the motor. Accordingly, the performance of cooling the motor is enhanced.

A multimode clutch may be adapted for selectively connecting and disconnecting front and/or rear axles from respective internal combustion engine and electric motor powertrains connected to such front and rear driving axles in a through-the-road hybrid vehicle. For example, the engine may be part of a front axle driven powertrain connected to the front wheels, while the motor may be part of a separate rear axle driven powertrain connected to the rear wheels, or vice versa. By selective disconnection of an axle not being actively driven, a real time reduction in parasitic losses may be achieved, leading to higher overall operating efficiencies. The multimode clutch offers greater flexibility over the use of standard friction clutches; each multimode clutch may provide four distinct operational modes for accommodating a wide diversity of driving conditions. For example, bi-rotational freewheeling of the rear axle may occur whenever the motor is not in use.

A hybrid module configured for arrangement in a torque path upstream from a transmission and downstream from an internal combustion engine includes a drive unit including an electric motor and a housing, a torque converter connected to the electric motor and at least one baffle blade extending axially from the housing radially outside of the electric motor and the torque converter.

A system and method of controlling engine clutch engagement during TCS operation of a hybrid vehicle are provided. The method includes determining whether a TCS is operating and upon determining that the TCS is operating, determining a compensation value for early engagement of an engine clutch during the TCS operation based on a difference between a front wheel speed and a rear wheel speed and a slip amount of front wheels. Additionally, the method includes determining whether engagement of the engine clutch is capable of being started based on the compensation value and starting the engine clutch engagement. Since the engagement of the engine clutch is controlled based on the speed of non-drive wheels during TCS operation, the engagement stability of the engine clutch is improved and the amount of time required to engage the engine clutch is decreased.

A synchronization control method includes controlling an engine speed to follow a motor speed as a target speed of the engine when synchronization between the engine speed and the motor speed starts according to a demand for the lock-up of the engine clutch while travelling under the EV mode with the engine clutch opened; estimating the engine speed at a time of a transmission gear ratio change at which the motor speed increases and reaches a preset motor speed, wherein the transmission gear ratio change is carried out at the preset motor speed; calculating the motor speed, which is reduced after the transmission gear ratio change, by using the preset motor speed and information on a gear ratio before and after the transmission gear ratio change; and controlling the engine speed by resetting the target speed to the calculated motor speed as a new target speed of the engine.