An ECU changes driving force characteristics in accordance with a changeover in mode, such that the vehicle driving torque for the same vehicle speed and the same accelerator opening degree becomes larger during a CD mode than during a CS mode. In changing the driving force characteristics in accordance with the changeover in mode, the ECU executes a slow change process such that the vehicle driving torque approaches a value after the changeover in mode from a value before the changeover in mode as time passes. In this slow change process, the speed of change in the vehicle driving torque in the slow change process is more strictly limited when the changeover in mode is made based on host vehicle position information than when the changeover in mode is made in accordance with the operation of a mode switch.

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.

A method of controlling gear shifting of a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a motor, and a stepped transmission includes predicting a requested torque reduction amount requested by the engine and the motor when there is a request to shift gears of the transmission, determining whether to realize the predicted requested torque reduction amount by reducing motor torque or applying counter torque, as a result of the determining, when it is not possible to realize the predicted requested torque reduction amount, determining an operating point correction amount for increasing an available torque reduction amount of the motor, and determining whether to perform first gear-shifting control in consideration of efficiency of the first gear-shifting control of increasing the motor torque and reducing engine torque by the operating point correction amount before an actual requested torque reduction amount is input.

In a hybrid vehicle including a front motor for driving front wheels, and a step-up converter for stepping up voltage from a battery to supply power to the front motor, in which power regenerated by rotational force of the front wheel during vehicle deceleration is stepped down by a step-up converter and can be supplied to a battery, the hybrid vehicle includes a hybrid control unit which computes maximum input power of the step-up converter and regenerated power of the front motor during vehicle deceleration, and sets a difference obtained by subtracting regenerated power of the front motor from the maximum input power of the step-up converter to the maximum generated power of the generator.

A vehicle includes an engine, a climate control system, a cabin, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to the climate control system supplying heat to a vehicle cabin and receiving a request for an economy mode, decrease an engine coolant temperature engine start threshold. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the engine coolant temperature becoming less than the threshold, start the engine.

The application describes a self-propelling work machine, in the form of a truck, having an electric drive comprising at least one electric motor, a generator drivable by an internal combustion engine for the power supply of the electric drive, and a braking apparatus for braking the work machine, wherein the braking apparatus provides a regenerative braking by the electric drive and a feedback apparatus for feeding back electrical motor braking power of the electric motor to the generator to apply the motor braking power on the internal combustion engine. The application further describes a method for braking the work machine. A braking control apparatus is provided for an automatic connection of a mechanical brake in dependence on the motor braking power fed back to the internal combustion engine and/or in dependence on the operating state of the internal combustion engine acted on by the fed back motor braking power.

A multimode clutch may be adapted for selectively connecting and disconnecting front and/or rear axles from respective internal combustion engine and electric motor powertrains connected to such front and rear driving axles in a through-the-road hybrid vehicle. For example, the engine may be part of a front axle driven powertrain connected to the front wheels, while the motor may be part of a separate rear axle driven powertrain connected to the rear wheels, or vice versa. By selective disconnection of an axle not being actively driven, a real time reduction in parasitic losses may be achieved, leading to higher overall operating efficiencies. The multimode clutch offers greater flexibility over the use of standard friction clutches; each multimode clutch may provide four distinct operational modes for accommodating a wide diversity of driving conditions. For example, bi-rotational freewheeling of the rear axle may occur whenever the motor is not in use.

A vehicle control system includes a controller that is programmed to, in response to an accelerator lift-pedal event, generate a drag torque, with at least one of an engine and electric machine, having a magnitude that is based on a deceleration fuel shut-off torque of the engine and a desired power output of the electric machine, and limit the drag torque to a threshold value that is based on the deceleration fuel shut-off torque.

A motor vehicle includes a hybrid drive having an internal combustion engine and an electric drive motor, and an air conditioning system having a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, and an electric motor configured to operate the compressor and to start the internal combustion engine as electric starter when being coupled with the internal combustion engine. The electric motor has an inverter to operate the electric motor directly with high voltage of a high-voltage onboard electrical system of the motor vehicle so as to enable the electric motor to apply a mechanical torque for re-staring the internal combustion engine in case of need in the absence of any assistance from the electric drive motor. A clutch device mechanically couples the electric motor of the air conditioning system with the internal combustion engine in response to a control signal.

A control strategy is provided for a hybrid vehicle that will increase drivability during low or decreasing driver demands. Coordination between shifting the transmission and stopping or (non-demand) starting of the engine can increase drivability. The vehicle includes a motor/generator with one side selectively coupled to the engine and another side selectively coupled to the transmission. The control strategy acts when an engine start or stop is requested while driver demand is decreasing and a shift of the transmission is demanded. To inhibit these events from proceeding simultaneously, the control strategy delays the engine from starting or stopping until the transmission has finished shifting, or vice versa.