A vehicle in a first mode consumes a charge amount of a battery. The vehicle in a second mode maintains the charge amount of the battery. An obtaining circuitry obtains, as a first distance, a total distance for which the vehicle has traveled in the first mode. When the vehicle is assumed to have traveled with the first mode preferentially assigned to the travel route separately from the travel plan, an estimating circuitry estimates, as a second distance, a total distance for which the vehicle would have traveled in the first mode. A notifying circuitry notifies the first distance information and the second distance information.

A vehicle drive system for a vehicle including a first prime mover, a first prime mover driven transmission, and a rechargeable power source can be configured for reduced fuel consumption at idle. The vehicle drive system includes an electric motor in direct or indirect mechanical communication with the first prime mover. The control system causes fuel to be eliminated to the first prime mover while the vehicle is stopped and causes the electric motor to rotate the first prime mover at a speed, thereby reducing fuel consumption at idle for the vehicle.

A hybrid car includes an engine, a first motor, a first driving shaft connected to a first drive wheel, a planetary gear, a second motor, a battery, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to control the first motor and the second motor such that the hybrid car travels within a range of allowable input and output electric power of the battery. The electronic control unit is configured to set an upper limit driving force based on a balancing driving force commensurate with a dynamic frictional force between the first drive wheel and a road surface and control the engine, the first motor, and the second motor when an idling-slip of the drive wheel occurs such that a driving force equal to or less than the upper limit driving force is output to the first drive wheel.

Systems, apparatus and methods may be configured to implement actively-controlled light emission from a robotic vehicle. A light emitter(s) of the robotic vehicle may be configurable to indicate a direction of travel of the robotic vehicle and/or display information (e.g., a greeting, a notice, a message, a graphic, passenger/customer/client content, vehicle livery, customized livery) using one or more colors of emitted light (e.g., orange for a first direction and purple for a second direction), one or more sequences of emitted light (e.g., a moving image/graphic), or positions of light emitter(s) on the robotic vehicle (e.g., symmetrically positioned light emitters). The robotic vehicle may not have a front or a back (e.g., a trunk/a hood) and may be configured to travel bi-directionally, in a first direction or a second direction (e.g., opposite the first direction), with the direction of travel being indicated by one or more of the light emitters.

Systems, apparatus and methods to multiple levels of redundancy in torque steering control and propulsion control of an autonomous vehicle include determining that a powertrain unit of the autonomous vehicle is non-operational and disabling propulsion operation of the non-operational powertrain unit and implementing torque steering operation in another powertrain unit while propelling the autonomous vehicle using other powertrain units that are configured to implement torque steering operation and propulsion operation.

A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a first rotating electrical machine (first MG), a second rotating electrical machine (second MG), a planetary gear mechanism which mechanically couples these devices, a first inverter which drives the first MG, a second inverter which drives the second MG, and a controller. When the controller receives a fail signal from the first inverter, the controller performs shut-down control which brings the first inverter into a gate shut-down state with fuel supply to the engine being stopped. When the absolute value of an engine rotation speed Ne is more than or equal to a predetermined value and the absolute value of a rotation speed Nm1 of the first MG is less than a threshold value after the shut-down control is started, the controller determines that the first inverter has a short-circuit fault.

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 control system for a hybrid vehicle to start an engine without causing a torque drop is provided. A combined planetary gear unit is configured in such a manner that an input element connected to the engine and an output element are situated between a reaction element connected to a first motor and a fixed element connected to a brake in a nomographic diagram. The first motor is selectively connected to the engine by a clutch. A controller is configured to start the engine by the first motor while engaging the brake to restrict rotation of the fixed element and engaging the clutch.

An ECU performs control processing including setting an inverter to a gate blocking state when an abnormal condition of the inverter occurs, activating a converter, driving an engine, carrying out first suppression control when an abnormal condition of a resolver occurs and when an MG2 rotation speed immediately before occurrence of the abnormal condition is equal to or smaller than a first speed threshold value, and carrying out second suppression control when the MG2 rotation speed immediately before occurrence of the abnormal condition is greater than the first speed threshold value and when there is no record of stop.

A battery includes a positive electrode formed with a positive electrode active material layer containing a positive electrode active material at least on one side of a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode formed with a negative electrode active material layer containing a negative electrode active material at least on one side of a negative electrode current collector, a separator, and an electrolyte containing solid particles. The capacity area density (mAh/cm.sup.2) of the negative electrode active material layer is equal to or higher than 2.2 mAh/cm.sup.2 and equal to or lower than 10 mAh/cm.sup.2, and the capacity area density (mAh/cm.sup.2) of a gap in the negative electrode active material layer is equal to or higher than 5.9 mAh/cm.sup.2 and equal to or lower than 67 mAh/cm.sup.2.