In a rough terrain vehicle, at a time of preparing to start movement, in a case that a left paddle switch and a right paddle switch are operated together with an accelerator pedal, an ECU disengages a clutch of an automatic transmission, and causes an output of an engine to increase. On the other hand, at a time of starting movement, in a case that the left paddle switch and the right paddle switch are returned to their initial positions, the ECU engages the clutch and transmits the output of the engine from the engine to vehicle wheels via the automatic transmission, to thereby rapidly start movement of the rough terrain vehicle.

An on-vehicle situation detection apparatus may include a detection unit to identify a driver and acquire driver status data and data about vehicle driving information or vehicle surrounding obstacles, a driving pattern learning unit to learn and store a driving pattern of a driver, based on the data acquired by the detection unit, a weighted value determination unit to determine a weighted value assigned to the information data acquired by the detection unit, based on the driving pattern learned by the driving pattern learning unit, a determination unit to determine a safe driving state of the driver, based on the data to which the weighted value determined by the weighted value determination unit is assigned, and a warning unit to warn the driver when the driver is determined to be not in the safe driving state.

A transmission changes gears in a MT system, an AT system, and an AMT system wherein unintended transition between an AT mode and a MT mode or between an AMT mode and a MT mode is prevented. A selector in a controller performs a mode selection control such that, when performing transition between the AT mode and the MT mode or between the AMT mode and the MT mode, the driver at least has to operate a mode switching switch while operating a clutch lever in an operation amount not smaller than a predetermined threshold.

A vehicle comprises a hybrid powertrain includes an electric machine coupled between an automatic gearbox and an engine. The vehicle includes paddle shifters configured to output a driver requested gear change. The hybrid powertrain is configured to selectively operate in an economy mode that optimizes fuel economy. While operating in the economy mode, a controller may selectively inhibit the driver requested gear change when the change may negatively impact fuel economy. In the economy mode, the driver requested gear change may be inhibited during a demand for braking. If the driver requested gear change is a downshift request, the downshift is inhibited and simulated using electric machine torque.

This work vehicle (tractor), which is provided with an engine and an accelerator pedal capable of changing the operational state of the engine, and is configured to be free to travel by means of an operation of the accelerator pedal by an operator, is equipped with a display near an operator's seat, said display being configured to be capable of displaying a screen (travel customization screen) for selecting whether or not to allow travel in conjunction with the accelerator.

A hybrid vehicle comprising: a pair of drive wheels; an internal combustion heat engine; an electrically controlled transmission; a control unit of the heat engine; a control unit of the transmission; a passenger compartment having a driver's seat provided with a plurality of controls that can be operated by the driver and comprise a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal and transmission control means; and an electronic control unit of the transmission control means that is physically installed in the passenger compartment close to the transmission control means, fulfils the function of acquiring the current position of the transmission control means and also fulfils the function of vehicle management unit by receiving the orders given by the driver and by providing the control unit of the heat engine and the control unit of the transmission with the corresponding objectives to meet the driver's needs.

A vehicle includes an engine having auto-stop and auto-start conditions. The vehicle additionally includes a braking system having an auto-hold function. The auto-hold function is configured to, after braking the vehicle to a full stop, automatically apply braking torque independent of a brake pedal position. The vehicle further includes a controller configured to, in response to the engine being in the auto-stop condition, the auto-hold function automatically applying braking torque, and a gear shifter being moved out of a gear other than PARK, maintain the engine in the auto-stop condition.

An electric vehicle includes a vehicle controller. The vehicle controller is capable of switching a traveling mode of the electric vehicle between a first traveling mode and a second traveling mode that applies driving-force maps for enhancing a rough-road capability from a rough-road capability in the first traveling mode. The vehicle controller is capable of switching the traveling mode to the second traveling mode in forward traveling and in backward traveling and is configured to apply, to the backward traveling in the second traveling mode, a first driving-force map of the driving-force maps, the first driving-force map having gentler characteristics than a second driving-force map of the driving-force map applied to the forward traveling in the second traveling mode.

A method of controlling a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) simulates a step-ratio transmission upshift. To simulate a step-ratio torque phase, the input torque is gradually reduced before beginning to change the variator ratio. Then, as the variator ratio is changed, the input torque is gradually increased to compensate for the decreasing torque ratio, simulating the relatively constant output torque of an inertia phase of a step-ratio upshift.

An adaptive automatic transmission control system responds to stopping of a vehicle for reducing torque absorption by an automatic transmission and movement of and range to obstructions forward from a vehicle for reengaging the automatic transmission after a stop. The torque converter is released from its reduced torque absorption mode under one of three circumstances: 1) the brake pedal is released; 2) the detected obstruction moves outside a first predefined maximum range; and, 3) the detected obstruction moves outside a second predefined maximum range and at greater than a predefined minimum speed.