A charging port adapted for secure placement in a vehicle that enables a removable battery to provide power to the vehicle and when the vehicle is in a normal operation mode, charge the removable battery.

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.

An in-vehicle software updating method includes: acquiring, after starting a software update, a voltage measurement value of an in-vehicle power source; and acquiring a progress rate in the software update in a case in which the voltage measurement value is equal to or less than a second threshold. In a case in which the progress rate is less than a set value, the software update is interrupted. In a case in which the progress rate is equal to or greater than the set value, an operation mode of the zone control unit is switched to a power saving mode, and a second predicted voltage value of the in-vehicle power source at the update completion time is calculated. The software update is continued in a case in which the second predicted voltage value is greater than a first threshold.

A vehicle includes a high-voltage system circuit including a high-voltage battery and an inverter, a low-voltage system circuit including a low-voltage battery and an updater, a DC-DC converter coupled between the two circuits, and a controller. The inverter converts DC electric power supplied from the high-voltage battery into AC electric power and outputs the AC electric power to a motor. The low-voltage battery has a lower output voltage than the high-voltage battery. The updater updates a program of an update-target device by using electric power supplied from the low-voltage or high-voltage battery. The DC-DC converter reduces in voltage output electric power of the high-voltage battery and then supplies the electric power to the low-voltage system circuit. When the updater starts updating of the program by using the electric power reduced in voltage, the controller limits operation of the inverter in response to the start of the updating of the program.

A vehicle includes a high-voltage system circuit including a high-voltage battery, a low-voltage system circuit including a low-voltage battery and an updater, a DC-DC converter coupled between the high-voltage system circuit and the low-voltage system circuit, and a controller. The low-voltage battery has a lower output voltage than the high-voltage battery. The updater updates a program of an update-target device with electric power supplied from the low-voltage or high-voltage battery. The DC-DC converter is capable of reducing in voltage output electric power of the high-voltage battery and then supplying the electric power to the updater. The controller sets a target SOC range of the high-voltage battery and controls charging of the high-voltage battery based on the target SOC range. The controller changes a target SOC lower-limit value of the high-voltage battery to a value higher than a normal value when updating of the program of the update-target device is scheduled.

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.

An electrically-powered vehicle supplements energy independently from each of a plurality of supply apparatuses that supply the energy. The electrically-powered vehicle includes a controller. The controller is configured to hold a plurality of pieces of vehicle control software, associated with at least two of pieces of control software of each of the plurality of supply apparatuses, and, when the energy is supplemented from any one supply apparatus of the plurality of supply apparatuses, select vehicle control software associated with control software of the any one supply apparatus from among the plurality of pieces of vehicle control software.

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 trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, 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.

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.

An electric vehicle includes a type identifier that identifies the type of the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle may provide the type identifier to a server. The server may access a database and return a vehicle type record associated with the type identifier. Each system of electric vehicle performs a function of the electric vehicle. A system may need to perform in one manner while installed in a first type of electric vehicle and in another manner while installed in a second type of electric vehicle. The vehicle type record includes a range for each system for the type of the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle uses the range to program its systems to operate within the range suitable for the type of electric vehicle.