A control apparatus for a vehicle controls the supply of electric power from a battery to first and/or second heat generating element(s), before starting of the internal combustion engine. When a suppliable amount of electric power is equal to or less than a first amount of electric power, the control apparatus controls the supply of electric power so that a whole amount of electric power within the suppliable amount of electric power is supplied to the second heat generating element, whereas when the suppliable amount of electric power is larger than the first amount of electric power but is equal to or less than a second amount of electric power, the control apparatus controls the supply of electric power so that the whole amount of electric power within the suppliable amount of electric power is supplied to the first heat generating element.

A method and apparatus is disclosed for evaluating the driving of a vehicle performing a journey on a road network, comprising determining at least one constant speed zone of the road network, a constant speed zone being a portion of the road network at which the vehicle can travel at a constant speed, said determination being based upon expected speeds of travel along the road network determined from positional data relating to the movements of a plurality of vehicles over time along the road network. A speed of the vehicle traversing the road network is determined at a plurality of times during the journey, and a value indicative of a consistency of the speed of the vehicle within the at least one constant speed zone is further determined.

Embodiments of methods and systems related to operating a mobile asset are provided. In one example, a method for operating a mobile asset includes supplying an engine with a fuel controller a first amount of a first fuel and a second amount of a second fuel and combusting the first fuel and the second fuel at a fuel combustion ratio in at least one cylinder of the engine, the first amount and the second amount being selected based on route information for a route along which the mobile asset is operable to travel and a projected exhaustion of the first fuel that does not precede a projected exhaustion of the second fuel, wherein the mobile asset is unable to operate with the second fuel alone.

An autonomous driving control system of a vehicle includes a processor, a navigation, and a driving controller communicatively connected to one another. The processor is configured to estimate a charging amount of a power source that drives a driving device of a vehicle. The navigation is configured to set a driving route based on a destination and to search for a charging station for the power source based on the set driving route. The processor is further configured to determine a charging strategy of the power source based on the estimated charging amount of the power source, the driving route set by the navigation, and the searched charging station. The driving controller is configured to control driving of the vehicle based on the driving route set by the navigation and the determined charging strategy.

A system and method that detects, using processing circuitry, a predetermined energy condition. The processing circuitry determines a geographic location of a vehicle, identifies at least one energy station as a function of a plurality of factors, determines a vehicle range based on an energy level of the vehicle and a first mode of vehicle operation, determines whether an energy saving condition is satisfied based on the vehicle range, a location of the at least one energy station, and the geographical location of the vehicle, and enters an economy mode when the energy saving condition is satisfied.

A fueling information provision system includes a storage device, a CPU serving as an execution device, and a location information obtaining device that obtains a location of a vehicle. The storage device stores fuel nozzle data about a fuel nozzle color assigned to a fuel type used by the vehicle in each of predetermined regions. The CPU transmits a notification signal indicating that the fuel nozzle color has changed when the location of the vehicle obtained by the location information obtaining device has shifted from the first region to the second region.

Methods and systems are provided for synergizing the benefits of a multi-fuel engine in a hybrid vehicle system. During engine operation, in response to a change in driver demand, the controller may opt to switch fuels or maintain a current fuel while using stored power assist. The selection may be based on the combination of fuel and stored power offset that provides the highest engine efficiency at the lowest fuel cost.

A method and apparatus for providing an advised driving speed to a driver of a vehicle travelling on a road network is disclosed. The method comprises determining an advised driving speed of a vehicle for a portion of the road network currently being traversed, determining a current speed of the vehicle on the portion of the road network, and determining a speed limit and/or an expected driving speed for the portion of the road network. An indication of the advised driving speed is then provided to the driver of the vehicle when: (i) the current speed of the vehicle is greater than a first threshold value based on the advised driving speed; and (ii) the speed limit and/or the expected driving speed is greater than a second threshold value. A method and apparatus is also disclosed for determining a score indicative of the compliance of a driver of a vehicle to an advised driving speed during a journey on a road network.

A hybrid electric vehicle system comprises an internal combustion (IC) engine and an electric engine providing power to a drive shaft of the vehicle. The IC engine receives a fuel from a fuel tank. Exhaust gases from the IC engine are treated at an exhaust treatment apparatus including a reagent tank containing a reagent. A controller monitors a quality of the fuel in the fuel tank and the reagent in the reagent tank and if needed, initiates fuel degradation reduction event or a reagent degradation reduction event. These events can include running the IC engine even if a battery supplying power to the motor is not discharged. The fuel degradation reduction event includes dosing the fuel tank with an antioxidant to reduce the rate of degradation of the fuel.

Methods and systems are provided for integrating a bi-fuel engine with a CVT transmission. Responsive to a driver demand, a controller may determine whether to maintain usage of a current fuel or transition to an alternate fuel based on the cost efficiency of the transition and further based on any engine limitations that may be incurred at the engine speed-load following the transition. To improve the net fuel economy benefit while addressing the engine limitation, a fuel transition may be combined with a CVT adjusted engine speed-load regime, while maintaining engine power output.