The present invention relates to a method of managing an energy storage system (ESS) of a vehicle, wherein the energy storage system has a beginning of life (BOL). The vehicle has at least a first application and a second application, and the energy storage system has a first end of life (EOL.sub.1) for the first application and a second end of life (EOL.sub.2) for the second application. Further, the ESS has a first lifetime between the BOL and the EOL and a second lifetime between the BOL and the EOL.sub.2. The method comprises the steps of: a) determining energy and/or power requirement for the vehicle being in the first application; b) defining energy and/or power of the energy storage system at the beginning of life (BOL) of the energy storage system of the vehicle; c) determining a first state of health value SOH.sub.1 at the first end of life (EOL.sub.1) of the energy storage system of the vehicle being in the first application; d) determining energy and/or power requirement for the vehicle being in the second application; e) determining a second state of health value SOH.sub.2 at the second end of life (EOL.sub.2) of the energy storage system if the vehicle is used in the second application.

The invention relates to a circuit arrangement (24) for a vehicle electrical system of an electrically driven motor vehicle (42), comprising: a high-voltage battery (26) for supplying power to an electrical drive machine (28) of the motor vehicle (42); a range extender (22), which is designed to charge the high-voltage battery (26) and which has a plurality of identical fuel-cell base modules (10) having interfaces for supplying reactants in the form of hydrogen and air; a switching device (32) for connecting the range extender (22), the circuit arrangement (42) having no DC-to-DC converter; a control device (36) which is designed to carry out the following steps after the control device has received an activation signal regarding the range extender (22): determining an operating point of the range extender (22) in dependence on at least one variable of the high-voltage battery (26); defining a setpoint value regarding the supply of the reactants to the fuel-cell base modules (10) and/or a setpoint value regarding an operating temperature of the fuel cells on the basis of the determined operating point; controlling a system (40), which is designed to provide the reactants to and/or to control the temperature of the fuel cells, in accordance with each defined setpoint value; controlling the switching device (34) so as to connect the range extender (22), only after the setpoint value regarding the supply of the reactants and/or the setpoint value regarding the operating temperature has been reached. The invention further relates to an electrically driven motor vehicle (42) having the circuit arrangement (24), and to a method for operating the circuit arrangement (24).

The present disclosure relates to a dual battery system for in a dual manner powering propulsion of an electric vehicle including a first electric motor coupled in driving relationship to one or more rear wheels and a second electric motor coupled in driving relationship to one or more front wheels. The dual battery system includes a first battery and a second battery. The first battery is configured to provide electric power for driving the first electric motor and the second battery is configured to provide electric power for driving the second electric motor. The present disclosure also relates to an electric vehicle including such a dual battery system.

Autonomous vehicle fleet management systems are provided herein. An example method includes receiving, via a control module of a first electric vehicle, trip characteristics data associated with a second electric vehicle. The trip characteristics data includes information such as vehicle location, a trip destination, and a route plan associated with the second electric vehicle. The control module or a connected control server selects a charging station for recharging the first electric vehicle based at least in part on the trip characteristics data and at least one route optimization option associated with the first electric vehicle. The example method further includes determining a travel route to the charging station and navigating the first electric vehicle to the charging station along the travel route using an autonomous vehicle navigation system associated with the control module.

The present disclosure describes a system for determining an optimal gear ratio for a light electric vehicle. The optimal gear ratio may be based on an anticipated or current route of an individual riding the light electric vehicle, riding habits of the individual and/or on maintenance status information associated with the light electric vehicle. When the optimal gear ratio is determined, the system provides an indication of the optimal gear ratio to the light electric vehicle.

A vehicle and method for operating a vehicle with a drivetrain including a fuel cell arrangement and a traction battery includes setting an upper threshold value for power output of the traction battery, determining a current maximum possible power request, determining the currently available power output of the fuel cell arrangement, determining the currently available power output of the traction battery up to the upper threshold value, and adjusting the upper threshold value for the permissible power output of the traction battery depending on the determined current maximum power request, the currently available power output of the fuel cell arrangement, and the currently available power output of the traction battery.

A method is usable for cooling portions of a vehicle having a plurality of low temperature radiators (LTR), a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS), an i-condenser coolant circuit, and a RESS coolant circuit. Cooling the RESS occurs by comparing ambient temperature to target low and high temperatures. If the ambient temperature is below the target low temperature, coolant flow is routed through a first flow path placing the first and second LTR in the RESS coolant circuit. If the ambient temperature is between the target low and high temperatures, coolant flow is routed through a second flow path placing the first LTR in the RESS coolant circuit and the second LTR in the i-condenser coolant circuit. If the ambient temperature is above the target high temperature, coolant flow is routed through a third flow path placing the first and second LTR in the i-condenser coolant circuit.

A vehicle battery heating apparatus is to be mounted in a vehicle that travels with electricity from a battery. The apparatus includes a battery, a heater, a sensor, a controller, and a memory. The battery is mountable in the vehicle to allow the vehicle to travel. The heater heats the battery. The sensor obtains a temperature of the battery. The controller heats the battery with the heater. The memory stores heating target temperatures for respective remaining capacities of the battery. The controller obtains a remaining capacity of the battery, obtains a target temperature from the memory in accordance with the obtained remaining capacity, and sets a target temperature for heating the battery which is not on charge while the vehicle is stopped to the obtained target temperature. The heater heats the battery to the set target temperature.

The invention relates to a method for assisting a driver of a vehicle (1) having an electric drive, in which a list of predefined influencing variables for the consumption of electrical energy by the vehicle (1) is drawn up and output by an output device (14), with the influencing variables relating to factors which can be influenced by the driver of the vehicle (1), the method comprising the following steps: a) calling up characteristic maps which specify a relationship between energy consumption and the various influencing variables, b) determining possible optimizations of the energy consumption by modifying a particular influencing variable, c) computing possible energy savings on implementation of the possible optimizations of the particular influencing variable using the characteristic maps retrieved, d) sorting the influencing variables in the list.

A vehicle includes a stimulus generator whose inputs are at least the mechanical torque (Tm) of the electric motor (M) measured by an estimator (TmE) of the mechanical torque (Tm) of the motor (M), and the velocity (V) measured by an estimator (VE) of the velocity (V) and whose outputs are a velocity control stimulus (VS) and a torque control stimulus (TS) towards the user (U). A vehicle includes a stimulus generator (SG) whose inputs are the power (Pu) measured by the estimator (PuE), and the velocity (V) measured by the estimator (VE) of the velocity (V) and whose output is a forced velocity control stimulus (VFS) that results in the velocity setpoint (V*) of the electric motor (M). Control procedures for these vehicles are also described.