A dual-motor electric vehicle (EV) drive system is provided that employs two different types of electric motors; at least one permanent magnet synchronous motor and at least one induction asynchronous motor. Under most low demand driving applications the EV relies on the permanent magnet motor(s), thus benefiting from the operating efficiency of this type of motor. Under high demand driving applications, for example during strong acceleration and high speed cruising, the EV is able to benefit from the output power capabilities of the induction motor(s).

An apparatus transforms vehicle operator intentions to wheel propulsion controls using an operator interface, sensors, a torque budgeting circuit, at least four motor controllers, and a vehicle/operator personality profile store. The store provides instructions and parameters which control dynamic vehicle responsiveness and reflect an operator's personality. The instructions and parameters are accessible by an application programming interface (API). Vehicle characteristics may be recorded by operating the vehicle through a prescribed route or evolution. A revised performance profile of a vehicle can be installed when the vehicle is reconfigured. Performance of a vehicle is modified to mimic a different vehicle by installing a new software dynamic performance profile. The API enables an open architecture for developers to customize vehicle dynamics without cutting metal.

A method for operating a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle has at least one torque transmission device which when rotating splashes in a fluid, at least two axles each having at least two wheels and at least one controllable coupling device adapted for selectively coupling or decoupling the torque transmission device with at least one of the wheels. The method includes the steps of: in an operating state in which no torque is requested by a driver of the vehicle, decoupling with the control device the torque transmission device and the at least one wheel when a driving speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed threshold value and coupling with the control device the torque transmission device and the at least one wheel for torque transmission when the driving speed is smaller than the predetermined speed threshold value.

A drive-force control apparatus for a vehicle including a first drive apparatus for driving a first pair of wheels and a second drive apparatus for driving a second pair of wheels. Each of the first pair of wheels is one of front and rear wheels of the vehicle, and each of the second pair of wheels is the other of the front and rear wheels. During running of the vehicle on a wave-like road, the control apparatus reduces a drive-force share ratio of one of the first and second drive apparatuses, and to increases a drive-force share ratio of the other of the first and second drive apparatuses, wherein the one of the first and second drive apparatuses includes a weakest part that is to be damaged the most easily among parts composing the first and second drive apparatuses, by resonance caused by the running on the wave-like road.

A vehicle power distribution control method, apparatus and system are provided. The method includes: acquiring an image of a road surface on which a vehicle drives currently, and recognizing, according to the image of the road surface, the type of the road surface on which the vehicle drives currently; starting a corresponding terrain mode in an all-terrain adaptive mode according to the current type of the road surface; determining a power distribution strategy corresponding to the current terrain mode according to a correspondence between terrain modes and preset power distribution strategies; and switching a center differential of the vehicle to a corresponding locking mode according to the current power distribution strategy, and distributing, in the locking mode, torques to front and rear axles of the vehicle according to a torque distribution curve corresponding to the current power distribution strategy. The front and rear axles of a four-wheel drive vehicle can be conveniently provided with adequate torques on different road surfaces.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling yaw of a vehicle while maintaining vehicle speed. In one example, equal and opposite vectoring torques are applied to first and second wheels along with a propulsion torque so that a vehicle yaw moment may be induced without accelerating or decelerating the vehicle.

An onboard automatic parking system for a vehicle comprises: an automatic parking unit (20) suited to control a maneuver of the vehicle in or out of a park area secured by a remotely controlled access system; a communication circuit (14) suited to send a wireless instruction for operating the access system; and a human machine interface (30) suited to monitor the communication circuit (14) to send the wireless instruction upon actuation of the human machine interface (30), wherein the human machine interface (30) is also suited to command the automatic parking unit (20) that controls the maneuver subsequent to actuation of said human machine interface (30).

A method of controlling wheel slip of a vehicle and an apparatus thereof, the method includes determining, by a controller, a torque command for a driving device configured to drive the vehicle based on vehicle operation information obtained by an operation information detector while the vehicle is traveling, obtaining, by the controller, real-time vertical load information of a left wheel and a right wheel of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling based on the vehicle operation information collected in the vehicle, determining, by the controller, a threshold engagement torque for control of a limited slip differential from the obtained real-time vertical load information, comparing, by the controller, a real-time torque command determined in real time based on the vehicle operation information, with the determined threshold engagement torque, and controlling, by the controller, the limited slip differential to be engaged so that differential action of a differential is limited when the real-time torque command exceeds the threshold engagement torque.

An electrically controlled differential gear is disposed between a right front wheel and a left front wheel of a vehicle. The electrically controlled differential gear includes a clutch mechanism that limits a differential operation of the electrically controlled differential gear. A second ECU (control portion) obtains information as to failure associated with actuation of a right front electric brake mechanism. The second ECU obtains a physical amount relating to a required braking force which is applied to the left front wheel and the right front wheel. The second ECU outputs a differential limiting control command for limiting the differential operation of the electrically controlled differential gear to the clutch mechanism (or more specifically, a differential ECU that controls the clutch mechanism) based on the information as to the failure and the physical amount relating to the required braking force.

A motor control device for an electric vehicle, which includes a power transmission path configured such that an output of a first motor and an output of a second motor are, respectively, transmittable to left and right wheels of the vehicle via a differential mechanism, includes a non-interference correction part for predictively correcting an output from a first motor control part or a second motor control part to an opposite motor to a motor performing vibration suppression correction via the power transmission path, such that a change in motor output by a vibration suppression correction torque amount cancels an interference torque interfering with a motor output of the opposite motor.