Vehicles may be composed of a relatively few number of “modules” that are assembled together during a final assembly process. An example vehicle may include a body module, a first drive module coupled to a first end of the body module, and a second drive module coupled to a second end of the body module. One or both of the drive modules may include a pair of wheels, a battery, an electric drive motor, and/or a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. One or both of the drive modules may also include a crash structure to absorb impacts. If a component of a drive module fails or is damaged, the drive module can be quickly and easily replaced with a new drive module, minimizing vehicle down time.

A power control device for a power supply mounted on a vehicle is provided, which includes a generator mounted on the vehicle and configured to regenerate power from kinetic energy of the vehicle, a high-voltage battery configured to accumulate the power regenerated by the generator, a low-voltage battery of which a nominal voltage is lower than the high-voltage battery, a voltage converter configured to lower an output voltage from the high-voltage battery and charge the low-voltage battery at the lower voltage, and a controller configured to control the voltage converter. The controller operates the voltage converter to start the charging of the low-voltage battery after the vehicle is powered ON and before an engine mounted on the vehicle is started.

A method can include obtaining vehicle data corresponding to an autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle can include a vehicle controller configured to control a set of driving maneuvers of the autonomous vehicle. The method can further include obtaining accident condition data based, at least in part, on the vehicle data. The accident condition data can include a first set of driving conditions under which a vehicle accident occurred. The method can further include generating an accident condition record based, at least in part, on the accident condition data. The method can further include determining that the vehicle controller is not trained to control the set of driving maneuvers of the autonomous vehicle under the first set of driving conditions. The method can further include generating, in response to the determining, a pending test case based, at least in part, on the accident condition record.

A machine configuration system which can realize different works by work machines, industrial machines, agricultural machines, military vehicles, remotely-controlled autonomous, etc. machines, by means of components and equipments having capability of fixation to various locations of the main chassis and main chassis with palette or single type, four-wheel drive and platform with rotation through four wheels.

An energy system for a vehicle system having a plurality of motors that may include a first power supply assembly that may also include a first battery assembly of a plurality of battery assemblies. The first power supply assembly also may include a first bus coupled to a first motor of the plurality of motors and coupled to the first battery assembly. A second power supply assembly may also be provided that includes a second battery assembly of the plurality of battery assemblies coupled to a second bus that is coupled to a second motor of the plurality of motors. A controller may also be provided that may be configured to vary conduction of electric current from the first battery assembly to the first motor by the first bus based on an operating condition of the second power supply assembly to provide a first input to the first motor that may be different than a second input provided to the second motor by the second battery assembly.

A control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a program updating portion configured to update a vehicle program to a new program received via a radio communication from an external device that is provided outside the vehicle; and a remaining-electric-energy reduction suppressing portion configured, when there is a program update request requesting the vehicle program to be updated to the new program, to execute a control for suppressing reduction of a remaining electric energy remaining in a vehicle electric-storage device configured to supply an update-consumed electric energy that is an electric energy consumed when the vehicle program is being updated to the new program.

A mounting arrangement for an add-on part or charging socket on a carrier structure or vehicle body of a two-track vehicle, includes an assembly tool feeding the add-on part in a feed process step into the carrier structure in a direction of a final mounting position. The add-on part is attachable to the carrier structure at an attachment point. The mounting arrangement has an auxiliary mounting holder in the carrier structure to simplify mounting. In the feed process step, the assembly tool moves the add-on part into a premounting position, for transferring the add-on part from the assembly tool to the auxiliary mounting holder, for restoring the assembly tool without the add-on part in a reversing direction opposite the feed direction. The auxiliary mounting holder has a transverse guide, along which the add-on part is adjustable from premounting to final mounting position.

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a truck, a tractor unit, a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, at a tandem, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

Methods and systems related to a charging station for a tracked mobile object are disclosed. In one embodiment, a charging station is provided. The charging station comprises a charging port for a remote control, a regulator that provides power from a power source to the charging port, a transceiver that transmits an outbound positioning signal to the remote control, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for a method. The method comprises at least one of generating the outbound positioning signal and receiving an inbound positioning signal.

An energy system for a vehicle system having a plurality of motors that may include a first power supply assembly that may also include a first battery assembly of a plurality of battery assemblies. The first power supply assembly also may include a first bus coupled to a first motor of the plurality of motors and coupled to the first battery assembly. A second power supply assembly may also be provided that includes a second battery assembly of the plurality of battery assemblies coupled to a second bus that is coupled to a second motor of the plurality of motors. A controller may also be provided that may be configured to vary conduction of electric current from the first battery assembly to the first motor by the first bus based on an operating condition of the second power supply assembly to provide a first input to the first motor that may be different than a second input provided to the second motor by the second battery assembly.