A DC link capacitor in a drive system for an electric vehicle is quickly discharged using only local action within an inverter module and without any extra components to dissipate the charge. The inverter has a phase leg comprising an upper switching device and a lower switching device coupled across the capacitor. A gate driver is coupled to the phase leg to alternately switch the switching devices to ON state according to a PWM signal during pulse-width modulation of the drive system. The gate driver is configured to discharge the link capacitor during a discharge event by simultaneously activating the upper and lower switching devices to transitional states. Thus use of transitional states ensures that the switching devices provide an impedance that dissipates the capacitor charge while protecting the devices from excessive temperature.

A vehicle including an engine, a generator, a motor, a driving member and a control device. The generator includes a rotor, a stator having a stator core with a winding wound thereon, and an inductance adjustment device that changes an inductance of the winding by changing magnetic resistance of a magnetic circuit for the winding that passes through the stator core. The current adjustment device adjusts a current outputted from the generator to the motor, which drives the driving member. The control device, upon receiving a request for increasing the current to be supplied to the motor, directs the inductance adjustment device to adjust the generator to operate in a state in which the inductance of the winding is low, directs the engine to increase a rotation speed thereof to increase the rotational power, and directs the current adjustment device to increase the output current of the generator.

A vehicle including an engine, a generator, a motor, a driving member and a control device. The generator includes a rotor, a stator having a stator core with a winding wound thereon, and an inductance adjustment device that changes an inductance of the winding by changing magnetic resistance of a magnetic circuit for the winding that passes through the stator core. The current adjustment device adjusts a current outputted from the generator to the motor, which drives the driving member. The control device, upon receiving a request for increasing the current to be supplied to the motor, directs the inductance adjustment device to adjust the generator to operate in a state in which the inductance of the winding is low, directs the engine to increase a rotation speed thereof to increase the rotational power, and directs the current adjustment device to increase the output current of the generator.

When a use index indicative of a degree of use of external charging is less than a threshold, an electronic control unit determines that the degree of use of external charging is low, and executes a charging guide control to promote the use of external charging at the time of parking at a battery charging point, such as at home or in a battery charging station, where the external charging is performable. Hereby, it is possible to promote a driver to use external charging at the time of parking at the battery charging point. As a result, the use of external charging can be promoted.

A power system includes a traction battery, an auxiliary battery, and a 3-phrase resonant DC/DC converter that permits charge and discharge of the traction battery, and includes a 3-phase transformer, 3-phase matching capacitors, and 3-phase resonant inductors. The vehicle also includes auxiliary circuitry that permits charge of the auxiliary battery with power from the traction battery, and is magnetically coupled with the 3-phase transformer.

A structure of mounting a power control device in a vehicle includes a housing that houses an electric motor for running, a power control device fixed above the housing with a gap between the power control device and the housing, and a cable connection portion provided on an upper surface of the housing at a position facing the power control device. A head of a bolt may be exposed on a lower portion of a casing of the power control device at a position facing the cable connection portion and a rib may be provided on the lower portion of the casing next to the head of the bolt, the rib protruding lower than the head of the bolt.

A drive motor control system performs control of a drive motor of a vehicle that includes the drive motor and a battery. The drive motor control system includes a control processor that controls an electric current supply from the battery to the drive motor and includes an operational state determiner that determines whether a condition that the vehicle is being stopped, a condition that a parking brake is being released, and a condition that a parking range is being selected are satisfied. When the operational state determiner determines that all the conditions are satisfied upon a reception of a trigger signal instructing a start of the control of the drive motor, the control processor performs control of an inverter such that the electric current supply is performed to cause the drive motor to repeat small revers rotations and thereby induce small movements of the vehicle in front and rear directions.

A drive motor control system performs control of a drive motor of a vehicle that includes the drive motor and a battery. The drive motor control system includes a control processor that controls an electric current supply from the battery to the drive motor and includes an operational state determiner that determines whether a condition that the vehicle is being stopped, a condition that a parking brake is being released, and a condition that a parking range is being selected are satisfied. When the operational state determiner determines that all the conditions are satisfied upon a reception of a trigger signal instructing a start of the control of the drive motor, the control processor performs control of an inverter such that the electric current supply is performed to cause the drive motor to repeat small revers rotations and thereby induce small movements of the vehicle in front and rear directions.

A drive system, mountable onto a vehicle including a detachable rotational drive mechanism, for driving the rotational drive mechanism in accordance with a torque requirement. The drive system includes an engine that outputs first rotational power, and a generator that includes a rotor for receiving the first rotational power, a stator including a stator core with a winding wound thereon, a magnetic circuit for the winding passing through the stator core, and a supply current adjustment device for adjusting magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, to thereby change an inductance of the winding to adjust an output current of the generator. The drive system further includes a motor driven by the outputted current of the generator to output second rotational power to the rotational drive mechanism, and a control device configured to control both the engine and the supply current adjustment device, in accordance with the torque requirement.

Systems of an electrical vehicle and the operations thereof are provided. In particular, a towing cable and methods for utilizing the same in a towing scenario are described. The towing cable is described to facilitate the transfer of power between vehicles as well as data between vehicles. The data transferred between the vehicles involved in the towing include sensor information of the towed vehicle as well as control signals.