A method for operating a drive train of a motor vehicle having a combustion engine and a further machine, the two drives proportionally supplying a torque for the motor vehicle, and a temperature of an exhaust gas of the motor vehicle is ascertained and the shares of the generated torque by the combustion engine and the further machine are adapted as a function of the temperature of the exhaust gas.

A vehicle control device is provided for hybrid vehicles with which it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of an electric leakage. The vehicle control device determines an occurrence of an electric leakage of a strong current system that is routed from a high power battery to a motor. The vehicle control device includes an integrated controller that executes a process that prohibits a mode switch between an HEV mode for traveling by the drive force of the engine and the motor, and an EV mode for traveling by the drive force of only the motor during an electric leakage detection.

In a vehicle that includes an engine including a starter, an automatic transmission unit having an input shaft coupled to an output shaft of the engine via a first clutch, and a motor generator (hereinafter, referred to as MG) coupled to the input shaft of the automatic transmission unit via a second clutch, an electronic control unit starts up the engine with the use of the starter in a state where the MG is disconnected from the engine by releasing at least one of the first clutch or the second clutch when an IG-on operation has been made in an IG-off state (a state where the vehicle is stopped in a P range) and a power control unit that supplies electric power to the MG has a failure.

A control device executes caster angle change control for controlling a driving force applying device or each of the driving force applying device and a braking force applying device to reduce a caster angle of a steered tire-wheel assembly when a steering request is received in a stopped state or in a creeping state without exceeding a predetermined vehicle speed at a point starting from the stopped state. In the caster angle change control, the control device applies, to one tire-wheel assembly out of a front tire-wheel assembly and a rear tire-wheel assembly, a driving force in a direction toward the other tire-wheel assembly and applies, to the other tire-wheel assembly, a braking force or a driving force in a direction toward the one tire-wheel assembly to achieve the stopped state or the creeping state in response to a request for acceleration or deceleration.

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 hybrid vehicle includes: an engine configured to output power for traveling; a motor configured to output power for traveling; a switch configured to set a fuel economy priority mode, in which priority is given to fuel economy, and to cancel the fuel economy priority mode; and a controller configured (a) to operate the engine and the motor based on the switch setting; (b) to determine the presence/absence of degradation of fuel supplied to the engine; and (c) to prohibit setting of the fuel economy priority mode by the switch subsequently when determination is made that the fuel has degraded when the hybrid vehicle travels using power of the motor in a state in which the drive of the engine is stopped.

A vehicle behavior control device for controlling a vehicle equipped with a steering apparatus comprises: a PCM operable to acquire a steering speed in the steering apparatus, and, when the steering speed becomes equal to or greater than a given threshold (T.sub.S1) which is greater than 0, to reduce a driving force for the vehicle according to the steering speed, wherein the steering apparatus comprises a steering shaft coupled to the steering wheel and rotatable together with the steering wheel, wherein the steering shaft has a torsion bar whose torsional rigidity about a rotational axis of the steering shaft is less than a remaining portion of the steering shaft. The steering speed acquisition section is configured to acquire the steering speed of the steering apparatus at a position on the side of the front road wheels with respect to the low rigidity portion.

A transfer case capable of multiple drive ratios (i.e. high and low) in all operating modes of a hybrid all-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicle. The transfer case comprises an input shaft, a primary output shaft, a secondary output shaft, an electric motor, and a planetary gear set. The secondary output shaft is selectively rotatably coupled to the primary output shaft. The planetary gear set has a ring gear rotatably fixed to the input shaft, a planet carrier rotatably fixed to the primary output shaft, and a sun gear rotatably fixed to an output of the electric motor.

Self-propelled vehicles that include swiveling caster wheels and independent drive wheels are disclosed. The self-propelled vehicles are selectively steered in a caster wheel steering mode or a drive wheel steering mode. The vehicle includes a steering position sensor to measure the position of the steering system. A control unit varies the rotational speed of first and second drive wheels based at least in part of the signal from the steering position sensor.

An engine starting control system for hybrid vehicles is provided to prevent a temporal drop in drive force when starting an engine. The control system maintains an operating mode of a switching mechanism when starting the engine by the first motor, in a case that the vehicle is propelled in the forward direction by the first motor and that the switching mechanism is in a second mode, or in a case that the vehicle is propelled in the reverse direction by the first motor and that the switching mechanism is in the first mode. Thereafter, the control system increases a rotational speed of the engine to a self-sustaining speed, switches the operating mode of the switching mechanism, and increases torque of the engine.