A vehicle drive includes a gear set, a first motor/generator coupled to the gear set, a second motor/generator at least selectively rotationally engaged with the gear set, and an engine at least selectively coupled to the gear set and at least selectively coupled to the second motor/generator. The second motor/generator is electrically coupled to the first motor/generator by an electrical power transmission system. The first motor/generator and the second motor/generator are electrically coupled without an energy storage device configured to at least one of (a) provide electrical energy to the first motor/generator or the second motor/generator to power the first motor/generator or the second motor/generator and (b) be charged by electrical energy from the first motor/generator or the second motor/generator.

A vehicle includes a main drive unit, a sub drive unit, and a control unit. The main drive unit includes a main drive rotary electric machine. The sub drive unit includes a sub drive rotary electric machine. The control unit includes a driving force distribution ratio setting unit configured to set a driving force distribution ratio between the main driving force and the sub driving force and is configured to control the outputs of the main drive unit and the sub drive unit so that the main driving force and the sub driving force have the driving force distribution ratio set by the driving force distribution ratio setting unit. The driving force distribution ratio setting unit is configured to set the driving force distribution ratio to minimize electric power loss of the vehicle based on a vehicle speed of the vehicle and a required driving force of the vehicle.

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.

A vehicle control device applicable to a vehicle including an engine includes an electric motor coupled to the engine, a hydraulic clutch, a solenoid control valve, a first travel control unit, a second travel control unit, and a fail-safe control unit. The hydraulic clutch is engaged when hydraulic oil is supplied and disengaged when the hydraulic oil is discharged. The solenoid control valve includes a solenoid. The solenoid control valve supplies the hydraulic oil to the hydraulic clutch when the solenoid is in a non-energized state, and discharges the hydraulic oil when the solenoid is in the energized state. The first travel control unit executes an engine traveling mode, and the second travel control unit executes an inertial traveling mode. The fail-safe control unit drives the electric motor when the solenoid is switched from the energized state to the non-energized state while the inertial traveling mode is executed.

Disclosed is a method for managing the starting of a combustion engine of a hybrid drive system including a combustion engine and an electric machine, as well as a drive shaft, the electric machine producing torque to start the combustion engine and drive the drive shaft at least during an initial phase of the start. In a transient starting phase, the combustion engine drives the drive shaft and the electric machine is stopped. The electric machine is regulated, during the initial phase and transient phases, with a first engine speed setpoint. The transient phase begins when the drive shaft reaches the first engine speed setpoint and remains steady. Torque control produced by the electric machine during the transient starting phase being configured so that the electric machine is stopped as soon as the control determines that the torque produced by the electric machine is tending toward zero torque.

Systems and methods for reducing inertial forces of a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine are described. The systems and methods may provide for counterweights in a form of pistons in cylinders that are moved via electromagnets. The counterweights may be moved at a frequency that corresponds to engine speed via an alternating current.

A vehicle kill switch assembly includes a switch that is coupled to a vehicle. The switch is positioned beneath a driver's seat of the vehicle and the switch is electrically coupled to the ignition system of the vehicle. The ignition system is turned off when the switch is disengaged. A biasing unit is coupled to the vehicle and the driver's seat is coupled to the biasing unit. The biasing unit biases the driver's seat upwardly in the vehicle and the biasing unit is compressed when the driver sits in the driver's seat. The switch is engaged when the biasing unit is compressed to facilitate the vehicle to be driven. Conversely, the switch is disengaged when the biasing unit biases the driver's seat upwardly to inhibit the vehicle from being driven.

A hybrid driving apparatus is provided which enables a driver to sufficiently enjoy a driving feeling of a vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine. A hybrid driving apparatus includes an internal combustion engine that drive main driving wheels, a motive power transmission mechanism transmitting a driving force to the main driving wheels, a main driving electric motor driving the main driving wheels, an accumulator, sub-driving electric motors transmitting motive power to sub-driving wheels of the vehicle, and a control apparatus executing an electric motor traveling mode and an internal combustion engine traveling mode. The control apparatus causes the internal combustion engine to generate the driving force, the internal combustion engine is a flywheel-less engine, and the control apparatus causes the main driving electric motor to generate a torque for maintaining idling of the internal combustion engine in the internal combustion engine traveling mode.

A hybrid vehicle may include an engine, a drive wheel, a CVT for driving the drive wheel by continuously changing an engine power, an electric motor for driving the drive wheel, and a transaxle mechanically linked to the drive wheel. The transaxle may include an input shaft having first and second ends axially opposite each other and a clutch interposed between the motor and the input shaft. The first end of the input shaft is structured to receive power from the CVT and the second end of the input shaft is structured to receive power from the electric motor, The clutch, the second end of the input shaft and a motor shaft serving as a rotary axis of the motor are coaxially disposed.

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to delaying a start of an internal combustion engine (ICE) in a hybrid vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a stopping location, a regenerative braking event that assists in stopping the hybrid vehicle at the stopping location, and an actual energy value based on a regenerative braking energy generated during the regenerative braking event. The method includes determining an estimated energy value based on a predicted regenerative braking energy from a predicted braking event causing the hybrid vehicle to stop at the stopping location. The method includes determining an energy savings value based, at least in part, on a difference between the actual energy value and the estimated energy value. The method includes, responsive to the ICE being off, delaying the start of the ICE based, at least in part, on the energy savings.