Methods and systems for activating electric vehicles are provided. One method includes, in response to a first command to activate the vehicle, transitioning the vehicle from an inactive state to a wake state where a controller of the vehicle is activated and the vehicle is prevented from being propelled by an electric motor of the vehicle. The method also includes, in response to receiving a second command to activate the vehicle after receiving the first command, transitioning the vehicle from the wake state to a ready state where the vehicle is permitted to be propelled by the electric motor.

A vehicle braking control method is provided. When a driver intends to drive a vehicle after the delivery of the vehicle or a factory mechanic intends to test the vehicle before the delivery of the vehicle after the engine is turned on even when a warning light is turned on due to the insufficiency of the brake fluid, a warning signal indicating that a level sensor is malfunctioning is generated using an instrument cluster, or driving torque of the engine is limited while a warning phrase indicating the insufficiency of the brake fluid is displayed using the cluster. Therefore, the vehicle may travel at a minimum speed. Thus, the driver is enabled to drive the vehicle to a safe place. Accordingly, a secondary accident is prevented and a subsequent maintenance operation is easily performed.

An engine control device for an industrial vehicle includes a seating detector configured to detect a seating state of a driver relative to a driver seat, a neutral detector configured to detect whether a direction operating member of the industrial vehicle is positioned in a neutral position, a fuel supply member configured to supply a fuel to the engine, a first controller configured to stop an output of a driving force from the engine when the seating detector detects that the driver is away from the driver seat, and a second controller configured to restart the output of the driving force from the engine in case that the seating detector detects that the driver is seated on the driver seat and the neutral detector detects that the direction operating member is positioned in the neutral position, after the first controller stops the output of the driving force from the engine.

A vehicle comprises an autonomous driving system and a vehicle platform that controls the vehicle in response to a command received from the autonomous driving system. In the vehicle, when a first signal indicates an autonomous mode, the vehicle platform performs a shift change requested through a first command only while the second signal indicates a standstill.

A vehicle control device includes: a transmission control unit that can select a restricted mode in which the range of a gear ratio of a transmission is restricted and an unrestricted mode in which the range of the gear ratio is not restricted, and controls the gear ratio in accordance with the selected transmission mode; and a lane change control unit that, if the unrestricted mode is selected in a case where a lane change request has been acquired, keeps the unrestricted mode and performs lane change control in which a host vehicle changes lanes, and if the restricted mode is selected in the case where the lane change request has been acquired, selects the unrestricted mode and performs the lane change control.

A method of parking control for a vehicle equipped with an electric motor independent from a transmission includes calculating external force applied to wheels when predetermined conditions including shifting to a parking (P) stage are satisfied, determining whether a drive shaft fixing apparatus activated according to shifting to the P stage is combined, and controlling the electric motor such that a torque having a magnitude less than the external force is applied to the wheels in a direction opposite to the external force when the drive shaft fixing apparatus is determined to be combined.

A parking assist system includes: a control device configured to control a vehicle, a vehicle position detecting device configured to detect a position of the vehicle; a shift device configured to be operated for changing a shift position; and a brake input member configured to be operated for driving a brake device. In a case where the vehicle is stopped at a position other than a target position and a switching position, the control device changes the shift position to a parking position or a neutral position unless a shift maintenance condition is satisfied. The shift maintenance condition includes at least one of condition (i) that the vehicle is stopped at a position out of a prescribed range according to an operation of the brake input member and a condition (ii) that a cause for which the vehicle has been stopped is removed.

A four-wheel drive vehicle includes: (a) main drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels; (b) a rotating machine as a drive power source; (c) a drive-power distribution clutch configured to allocate a part of a drive power outputted to the main drive wheels from the drive power source, to the auxiliary drive wheels, so as to distribute the drive power to the main drive wheels and the auxiliary drive wheels with a drive-power distribution ratio between the auxiliary drive wheels and the main drive wheels, such that the drive-power distribution ratio is variable with an engaging force of the drive-power distribution clutch being controlled; and (d) a control apparatus configured, when determining that a heat load of the drive-power distribution clutch is large during deceleration running of the vehicle, to limit a regenerative torque of the rotating machine, as compared with when determining that the heat load is small.

In a case where a predetermined switching operation to a state in which a traveling position is selected from a state in which another shift position of a mechanical transmission device is selected is performed by a driver, a quick engagement command to quickly engage a predetermined engagement device is performed in a state in which output of a predetermined torque is stopped, and then a rapid garage control of increasing a rotation speed of an electric motor at a rotation speed equal to or higher than a predetermined rotation speed is executed. The rapid garage control is executed in a case where a predetermined start condition is established.

A hybrid vehicle includes: an internal combustion engine; an electric motor; a controller; a transmission including an input shaft that receives power inputted from the internal combustion engine and the electric motor and an output shaft that outputs power to a drive wheel; and a clutch disposed in a first power transmission route between the internal combustion engine and the input shaft. The electric motor is connected to the input shaft so as to transmit power to the input shaft through a second power transmission route different from the first power transmission route. The controller changes the manner of controlling the electric motor upon switching of the state of power transmission from the internal combustion engine and the electric motor.