Spark ignition engine operation at higher RPM so as to reduce alcohol requirements in high efficiency alcohol enhanced gasoline engines is disclosed. Control of engine upspeeding (use of a higher ratio of engine RPM to wheel RPM) so as to achieve an alcohol reduction objective while limiting any decrease in efficiency is described. High RPM alcohol enhanced gasoline engine operation in plug-in series hybrid powertrains for heavy duty trucks and other vehicles is also described.

A method for managing electrical Key Off Load (KOL) and other potentially damaging operational conditions in a vehicle while in a neutral mode setting, comprising: determining a vehicle drivetrain is in the neutral mode setting; determining an operational characteristic that changes with time while the vehicle is in the neutral mode setting; performing, via a vehicle control module and based on the neutral mode setting and the operational characteristic, vehicle actions comprising engaging an automated start powertrain activation while the vehicle is in the neutral mode setting.

A fire fighting vehicle includes a chassis, a front axle, a rear axle, an engine, a battery system, an electromagnetic device, an accessory drive, and a controller. The accessory drive is positioned to receive a mechanical input from the engine and the electromagnetic device. The controller is configured to selectively engage a plurality of operational modes including a standby mode and a hybrid mode. According to the standby mode, the controller is configured to operate the electromagnetic device using stored energy stored in the battery system to drive the accessory drive with the engine off. According to the hybrid mode, the controller is configured to operate both the engine and the electromagnetic device.

A vehicle control system includes: a vehicle state detecting device configured to obtain vehicle state information that includes a steering angle of a front wheel; a pitch moment computation unit configured to compute an applied pitch moment to be applied to a vehicle based on the vehicle state information; a deceleration force computation unit configured to compute an applied deceleration force to be generated in the vehicle based on the applied pitch moment; and a deceleration force distribution unit configured to compute a brake device deceleration force to be generated by a brake device and a power plant deceleration force to be generated by a power plant based on the applied deceleration force and state information of the brake device and the power plant.

A control device for a hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine, a motor, and a clutch provided between the internal combustion engine and the motor includes a first start control unit that starts the internal combustion engine without causing the motor to perform cranking, and a second start control unit that starts the internal combustion engine by causing the motor to perform cranking. After the first start control unit performs start control of the internal combustion engine, the second start control unit starts the internal combustion engine when a crank shall of the internal combustion engine stops for a predetermined time or longer or the crank shaft rotates in an opposite direction to the direction of the cranking.

An autonomous vehicle includes an under-chassis object detection system for identifying the presence of an object on a road that the autonomous vehicle is travelling upon. The under-chassis object detection system may include a LIDAR system. The object on the road that the autonomous vehicle is travelling upon is of a size that allows the vehicle's chassis to pass over the object on the road. The autonomous vehicle may react to the detected object on the road to operate the autonomous vehicle safely, such as by altering the vehicle's trajectory, by stopping the vehicle, or by communicating with a control center for further instructions.

If the destination has not been input, it is judged whether the present location is on the expressway (step S32). If the judgement result of the step S32 is positive, it is judged whether or not the actual SOC is less than or equal to the threshold TH2 (step S34). If the judgement result of the step S34 is positive, the restoring control is executed (step S36). Subsequent to the step S34 or S36, it is judged whether or not the vehicle is still on the expressway (step S38). If the judgement result of the step S38 is positive, it is judged whether or not the actual SOC is greater than or equal to the SOC_T2 (step S42). If the judgement result of the step S42 is positive, the maintaining control is executed (step S44).

An energy management system determines two or more fuel components that represent fuel consumption by a vehicle system completing a trip over one or more routes. A trip plan that designates operational settings of the vehicle system at one or more of different locations, different distances along the one or more routes, or different times is generated or modified. The trip plan is based on the fuel components. The fuel components include a delta elevation component of the one or more routes, a delta speed component of the trip, a mean drag component of the vehicle system, a curvature component of the one or more routes, a base fuel component of the vehicle system, a minimum braking component of the vehicle system, a braking auxiliaries component of the vehicle system, and/or a drag variation of the vehicle system.

A method for controlling a powertrain system of a heavy-duty vehicle, the powertrain system having at least one differential arrangement for receiving torque from a propulsion unit of the powertrain system and delivering at least a part of the torque to a set of first and second wheels, the method being implemented by a control unit, the method comprising determining a split-friction condition indicative of a wheel slip difference between the first and second wheels, wherein one of the first and second wheels defines a high-friction side of the differential arrangement and the other one of the first and second wheels defines a low-friction side of the differential arrangement; determining a target wheel slip for the high-friction side; and in response to the determined split-friction condition; controlling a brake force on the low-friction side of the differential arrangement based on the target wheel slip on the high-friction side.

A braking force control device includes a target acceleration calculation unit that calculates a first target acceleration based on an acquired operation amount of an accelerator pedal, a powertrain capability acquisition unit that acquires a braking force that is generable by a powertrain, and an instruction unit that instructs generation of braking forces in the powertrain and a brake. The instruction unit is configured to, when a first braking force for achieving the first target acceleration is equal to or less than the braking force that is generable by the powertrain, instruct a controller of the powertrain to generate the first braking force, and when the first braking force is larger than the braking force that is generable by the powertrain, instruct the controller of the powertrain to generate the braking force that is generable by the powertrain.