A system according to the present disclosure includes a trailer distance module, a trailer contact module, a trailer distance module, and at least one of a driver warning module, a brake control module, and a steering control module. The trailer distance module determines a distance from a cab of a truck to a fifth wheel trailer attached to the truck based on an input from a sensor. The trailer contact module identifies potential contact between the trailer and the truck cab based on the cab-to-trailer distance. The driver warning module warns a driver of the potential contact. The brake control module applies a brake of at least one of the truck and the trailer when potential contact is identified. The steering control module increases an amount of driver effort required to steer the truck in at least one direction when potential contact is identified.

A propulsion control system for a vehicle includes a driver pedal, a driver pedal position sensor that outputs a driver pedal position signal that indicates a position of the driver pedal, a memory that stores a first pedal map, and a processor that generates a torque request based upon the driver pedal position signal and the first pedal map. The first pedal map correlates a value of the driver pedal position signal to the torque request for a propulsion system in the vehicle and a first portion of the first pedal map near a traction limit has a first slope that defines the rate of change of the torque request to be less than the rate of change of the pedal position.

A wireless vehicle-trailer interface system for communication between a vehicle and a trailer is provided. The vehicle may include a vehicle hitch, a vehicle control system, a vehicle radio frequency system, and a processor, the processor configured to generate a unique data packet for each vehicle radio frequency system, determine, for each received response packet, a distance between a corresponding receiving vehicle radio frequency system and a corresponding transmitting trailer radio frequency systems, determine a relative physical position of each vehicle radio frequency system and trailer radio frequency system, determine dimensions of the trailer, determine a physical position of a vehicle hitch and a trailer coupled, and generate instructions for the vehicle control system to cause the vehicle to move to align the vehicle hitch with a trailer coupler.

A mechanism for preventing power generation during towing of an electric vehicle. The mechanism includes: a rod-shaped coupling member receiver into which a rod-shaped coupling member to be used during the towing is configured to be inserted on a front portion or a rear portion of the electric vehicle, and to which the inserted rod-shaped coupling member is configured to be locked; and a switcher that is provided between the axle and the decelerator, and that is configured to bring the axle and the decelerator into a decoupled state in an inserting operation of inserting the rod-shaped coupling member into the rod-shaped coupling member receiver, and to bring the axle and the decelerator into a coupled state in a removing operation of removing the rod-shaped coupling member from the rod-shaped coupling member receiver.

A method for ascertaining a spatial orientation of a trailer of an autonomously driving towing vehicle with trailer. The method includes the steps of reading in image data of at least one rear-facing camera, assigning image points of the image data to the trailer or to the vehicle surrounding environment, ascertaining a rear trailer edge or at least one point of the rear trailer contour from the image points assigned to the trailer, and determining the trailer angle as a function of image coordinates of the trailer edge or of the point, the dimensions of the trailer, and the position of the camera relative to the support point of the trailer.

A propulsion control system for a vehicle includes a driver pedal, a driver pedal position sensor that outputs a driver pedal position signal that indicates a position of the driver pedal, a memory that stores a first pedal map, and a processor that generates a torque request based upon the driver pedal position signal and the first pedal map. The first pedal map correlates a value of the driver pedal position signal to the torque request for a propulsion system in the vehicle and a first portion of the first pedal map near a traction limit has a first slope that defines the rate of change of the torque request to be less than the rate of change of the pedal position.

A vehicle includes a trailer hitch, an axle having an electronic limited slip differential, and a controller. The electronic limited slip differential includes a variable torque capacity lockup clutch. The controller is programmed to, in response to detecting the presence of a trailer connected to the trailer hitch and an increase in vehicle speed, increase the lockup clutch torque by a first torque adjustment.

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

Systems and methods for modifying an attitude of a vehicle are disclosed. A user selects a trailer mode for a vehicle body. The selected trailer mode has a corresponding configuration. The vehicle determines one or more features about a trailer based on the selected trailer mode. The vehicle determines a location of a trailer hitch needed to achieve the configuration corresponding to the selected trailer mode. The location is based on the one or more features about the trailer. The vehicle actuates at least one active component in the vehicle's active suspension system to change the attitude of the vehicle body so as to cause the trailer hitch to be located in the determined location thereby causing the vehicle body to be in the selected trailer mode.

A method and an associated apparatus for recognizing a towing operation of a vehicle. A towing operation is recognized by detecting an acceleration of the vehicle immediately after activation of the vehicle ignition and at the same time detecting that there is no actuation of the accelerator pedal or no torque request from a driver assistance system. Upon recognition of the towing operation, an automatic function that intervenes in the acceleration, deceleration, or steering of the towed vehicle is blocked.