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.

Methods and systems are provided for a hybrid electric vehicle. In one example, a method may include delaying an electric-only operation of the hybrid vehicle in response to a powertrain temperature being less than a threshold powertrain temperature and an electric-only range being less than a distance between a current location and a recharging location. The electric-only operation may be initiated in response to one or more of the powertrain temperature exceeding the threshold powertrain temperature and the electric-only range being equal to the distance.

To provide a technique for reliably acquiring a required braking power during travel and for efficiently using a regenerative power generated during braking. A work vehicle calculates a regenerative power outputted from an electric motor and a target hydraulic driving power for driving a hydraulic pump, supplies the regenerative power to the generator motor operating as a motor and makes the generator motor consume the regenerative power in a case where the regenerative power is equal to or smaller than the target hydraulic driving power, and supplies the regenerative power to the generator motor operating as the motor and makes an exhaust brake consume a power equivalent to a difference between the regenerative power and the target hydraulic driving power in a case where the regenerative power is larger than the target hydraulic driving power.

A fire fighting vehicle includes a chassis, a front axle, a rear axle, an engine, an energy storage device, an electromechanical transmission, a vehicle subsystem, and a power divider. The electromechanical transmission is (i) coupled to at least one of the front axle or the rear axle and (ii) electrically coupled to the energy storage device. The power divider is positioned between the engine, the vehicle subsystem, and the electromechanical transmission. The power divider includes a first interface coupled to the engine, a second interface coupled to the vehicle subsystem, and a third interface coupled to the electromechanical transmission. The power divider is configured to facilitate (i) selectively coupling the engine to the vehicle subsystem and (ii) selectively coupling the engine to the electromechanical transmission.

A host vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger in fluid communication with the internal combustion engine, a communication system configured to transmit and receive a traffic-related message, and a controller in communication with the turbocharger and the communication system. The controller is programmed to: receive the traffic-related message via the communication system; and command the internal combustion engine to increase a power output to spool up the turbocharger in response to receiving the traffic-related message. The controller is programmed to determine a number of relevant vehicles. The number of relevant vehicles is a number of vehicles that are in front of the host vehicle and behind a traffic light and affect a movement of the host vehicle toward the traffic light. The traffic-related message is a one of a vehicle message from another vehicle and/or a traffic-light message from the traffic light.

A drive force control apparatus includes a drive force control section that has a steady drive force, a filtered drive force obtained by performing a filtering process on the steady drive force, and an internal drive force, which is calculated from a traction requested drive force, input thereto, and sets a target drive force based on the steady drive force, the filtered drive force, and the internal drive force. The drive force control section implements post-operation processing after control for causing the internal drive force to be the target drive force ends. In the post-operation processing, a new internal drive force, which is calculated based on a large-small relationship among the steady drive force, the filtered drive force, and the previously calculated internal drive force, is set as the target drive force.

A driving assist system executes driving assist control for avoiding a collision with a target ahead of a vehicle. The driving assist control operates when the target exists within an assist area. First and second roadway boundaries of a roadway area are located on first and second sides as viewed from the vehicle, respectively. A crossing target is the target crossing the roadway area ahead of the vehicle from the first side toward the second side. The assist area for the crossing target is an area between an assist start boundary located on the first side as viewed from the vehicle and an assist end boundary located on the second side as viewed from the vehicle. The driving assist system sets the assist end boundary at a position between the vehicle and the second roadway boundary of the roadway area.

A vehicle driving apparatus for a vehicle with wheels includes an engine, a transmission mechanism, an input shaft, a power generation motor, and a motor clutch. The transmission mechanism is disposed between the engine and the wheels. The input shaft is disposed between the engine and the transmission mechanism and coupled to a crank shaft of the engine via a damper mechanism. The power generation motor is disposed between the engine and the transmission mechanism and includes a hollow rotor through which the input shaft extends. The motor clutch is switched between an engaged state and a released state. When being the engaged state, the motor clutch couples the input shaft and the hollow rotor. When being in the released state, the motor clutch releases coupling between the input shaft and the hollow rotor.

A vehicle control device performs a drive mode switching control including switching a drive mode, when a request for switching to a manual drive control is made during execution of an automated drive control, to one of a plurality of drive modes that allows a driving force to accord with a required driving force based on an operation of the driver of the vehicle, over a wide range.

In a hybrid vehicle, each of an engine and an MG1 is mechanically coupled to a drive wheel with a planetary gear being interposed. The planetary gear and an MG2 are configured such that motive power output from the planetary gear and motive power output from the MG2 are transmitted to the drive wheel as being combined. When a first condition is satisfied during traveling of the vehicle, a controller stops combustion in the engine and performs motoring by the MG1 such that the planetary gear outputs deceleration torque. When a second condition in addition to the first condition is satisfied (YES in S20) during deceleration of the hybrid vehicle with deceleration torque, the controller performs motoring with throttle opening being set to first opening or larger and WGV opening being set to second opening or smaller.