One axle of a hybrid vehicle is powered by an electric motor while a second axle of the vehicle is powered by a powertrain that includes an internal combustion engine. The electrically driven axle can be controlled in a speed control mode or in a torque control mode based on a driver demanded torque. The speed control mode is used when slip is detected at the electrically driven axle. The torque control mode is used when the electrically driven axle has traction. During a transition between these modes, the rate of change of torque is controlled to a predetermined level to mitigate noise, vibration, and harshness.

A vehicle control device includes a slippage determination unit, a control unit, a different-diameter determination unit and a threshold adjuster. The slippage determination unit determines that a drive wheel is slipping when an index value that is correlated with a rotation speed of the drive wheel exceeds a threshold. The control unit controls a driving force of the drive wheel such that the index value matches a target value when it is determined that the drive wheel is slipping. The different-diameter determination unit determines whether a different-diameter tire that has a different diameter from a reference diameter is mounted on the drive wheel. The threshold adjuster adjusts a threshold on the basis of a ratio between a diameter of the tire mounted on the drive wheel and the reference diameter when it is determined that the different-diameter tire is mounted on the drive wheel.

A method of controlling a vehicle is disclosed, comprising steps of: obtaining a current value of a slip angle of the vehicle; setting a reference yaw rate in accordance with the obtained slip angle; setting a reference yaw moment based on the reference yaw rate; and controlling the electric vehicle to apply torque to a plurality of wheels of the vehicle in accordance with the reference yaw moment. By using a slip angle to set the reference yaw rate, embodiments of the present invention can remove the need to estimate the tyre-road coefficient of friction. Apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.

A vehicle includes primary and secondary axles including primary and secondary electric machines, respectively. A vehicle controller is programmed to, responsive to a braking torque request, command regenerative torques, that are a proportion of the braking torque request, to the electric machines such that the proportion commanded to the secondary electric machine decreases responsive to lateral acceleration of the vehicle increasing.

An electric vehicle control method for braking of an electric vehicle applies a front braking torque to a front drive motor that drives a front wheel and applies a rear braking torque to a rear drive motor that drives a rear wheel. The method includes: during the braking, executing a torque limiting process (process B, process C, front braking torque control) that reduces the front braking torque and the rear braking torque when a slip of the front wheel is detected; and executing a distribution torque changing process that increases the front braking torque while maintaining a sum of the front braking torque and the rear braking torque when a slip of the rear wheel is detected.

In a method for operating a motor vehicle during an autonomous parking process it is proposed that during the autonomous parking process a first braking torque is applied automatically to at least a first wheel, and a second braking torque is applied automatically to at least a second wheel, that a slip of one of the wheels is inferred from a comparison of the rotational speed of the first wheel to which the first braking torque is applied with the rotational speed of the second wheel to which the second braking torque is applied, and that if a variable characterizing the slip reaches or exceeds a limiting value, an action is automatically triggered.

A vehicle speed calculating device includes a vehicle speed calculating unit configured to calculate a control vehicle speed that is acquired by estimating a vehicle body speed that is a speed at which a vehicle is actually traveling, as a state variable used to control an onboard device configured to operate to realize various functions provided in the vehicle. The vehicle speed calculating unit is configured to include an extraction function of extracting at least one wheel speed acquired from at least one wheel that is assumed to be rotating in a state in which an influence causing a difference from the vehicle body speed is likely to be small, out of wheel speeds of a plurality of wheels, and a calculation function of calculating the control vehicle speed based on the at least one wheel speed extracted by the extraction function.

A control device is provided for operating a road-coupled hybrid vehicle, which is equipped with an electronic control unit, a first drive unit paired with a primary axle, and a second drive unit paired with a secondary axle. The control unit is designed to receive input variables including a specified sum target creep torque and a command to switch over from the single-axle operation to the two-axle operation with a specified all-wheel factor. The control unit sets a specified target torque for an internal combustion engine of the primary axle according to the all-wheel factor and detects the resulting actual coupling torque of the automatic transmission. If the functional module of the control unit ascertains a difference between the actual coupling torque and the sum target creep torque, the functional module specifies a corresponding target torque for an electric drive motor of the secondary axle to compensate for the difference.

A vehicle control system includes a speed control system which is configured automatically to attempt to cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value by causing a first vehicle speed value determined according to a first predetermined method to become or be maintained substantially equal to the predetermined target speed value at least in part by causing application of positive drive torque to one or more wheels by means of a powertrain. The speed control system is configured to impose a constraint on the amount of driving torque that may be demanded of the powertrain in dependence on the target speed value and a second vehicle speed value determined according to a second predetermined method. The second predetermined method is based on the mean speed of the driven wheels of the vehicle.

A control device for a torque distributor provided with a control means acquiring a demand value of a torque distributed to second driving wheels (W3, W4) using a torque distributor (10) and outputs a command value (TR) of torque corresponding to the demand value of torque. When a variation per unit time (ND) of a differential rotation speed (NS) between a drive source (3) side and a second driving wheel side with respect to the torque distributor in a torque transmission path (20) is a predetermined first threshold (ND1) or more, the control means (60) performs a torque command value limit control controlling the torque command value to a predetermined limit value (TR1) or less. This can secure the running stability necessary for the vehicle by distributing an appropriate torque to the second driving wheels using the torque distributor, while enabling proper protection of components including the torque distributor.