When a towing vehicle is driven while towing a towed vehicle having driving force, a controller of the towed vehicle determines wheel slip of the towing vehicle based on driving information of the towing vehicle and determines wheel slip of the towed vehicle based on driving information of the towed vehicle, and upon determining that wheel slip of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle has occurred or upon determining that wheel slip of each of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle has occurred, control to increase or decrease driving force of the towed vehicle or control to change the driving force distribution ratio between left and right wheels of the towed vehicle is performed, whereby it is possible to improve driving stability and rough road escape performance of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle.

A method for controlling propulsion of a heavy-duty vehicle, where the heavy-duty vehicle comprises a differential drive arrangement arranged in connection to a drive axle with a left wheel and a right wheel is provided. The method includes determining a nominal shaft slip corresponding to a desired wheel force to be generated by the drive axle wheels, wherein the nominal shaft slip is indicative of a difference between a current vehicle velocity and a vehicle velocity corresponding to the shaft speed, determining a difference between a speed of the left wheel and a speed of the right wheel, adjusting the nominal shaft slip in dependence of a magnitude of the wheel speed difference to a target shaft slip, and controlling the shaft speed based on the target shaft slip.

Systems and methods are provided for predicting a vehicle's motion. It is determined that speed of the vehicle is below a threshold speed. A derated tire cornering stiffness value that is less than a nominal cornering stiffness value is obtained. The vehicle's motion is predicted based on a dynamic model using the derated tire corning stiffness value.

An apparatus for controlling a vehicle includes a vehicle additional yaw moment calculator that calculates, based on a yaw rate of a vehicle, a vehicle additional yaw moment to be applied to the vehicle independently of a steering system, a slipping condition determiner that makes a determination as to a slipping condition of the vehicle, and an adjustment gain calculator that calculates an adjustment gain to adjust the vehicle additional yaw moment so as to reduce the vehicle additional yaw moment additional yaw moment when the vehicle is determined to be in the slipping condition, and increases the adjustment gain in accordance with a degree of a slip of the vehicle when the vehicle is determined to recover from the slipping condition.

An active differential for the controlled distribution of a drive torque generated by a drive motor to two drive shafts includes a planetary gear train configured to couple the two drive shafts to a drive shaft of the drive motor, and a distributor motor including a distributor shaft. The distributor motor produces a torque, with a distribution of a drive torque to the two drive shafts being dependant on the torque produced by the distributor motor. The distributor shaft and the planetary gear train are coupled by a coupling device which only transmits a torque from the planetary gear train to the distributor shaft when a rotational speed difference between rotational speeds of the two output shafts exceeds a predetermined limit value and when a connection condition depending on an operating condition of the distributor motor is satisfied.

Traction control unit interposed between torque allocation unit and torque control unit for left and right wheels and each configured to inhibit a slip of the drive wheel during acceleration or deceleration are provided. A longitudinal force estimation unit for estimating longitudinal forces acting on the respective left and right wheels and longitudinal force coincidence control unit are provided. The longitudinal force coincidence control unit compares absolute values of the longitudinal forces on the left and right wheels estimated by the longitudinal force estimation unit, and provides a driving torque command that generates a longitudinal force equal to the longitudinal force whose absolute value is smaller, to the torque control unit for the drive wheel at which the absolute value is larger.

When a towing vehicle is driven while towing a towed vehicle having driving force, a controller of the towed vehicle determines wheel slip of the towing vehicle based on driving information of the towing vehicle and determines wheel slip of the towed vehicle based on driving information of the towed vehicle, and upon determining that wheel slip of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle has occurred or upon determining that wheel slip of each of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle has occurred, control to increase or decrease driving force of the towed vehicle or control to change the driving force distribution ratio between left and right wheels of the towed vehicle is performed, whereby it is possible to improve driving stability and rough road escape performance of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle.

An active differential for the controlled distribution of a drive torque generated by a drive motor to two drive shafts includes a planetary gear train configured to couple the two drive shafts to a drive shaft of the drive motor, and a distributor motor including a distributor shaft. The distributor motor produces a torque, with a distribution of a drive torque to the two drive shafts being dependant on the torque produced by the distributor motor. The distributor shaft and the planetary gear train are coupled by a coupling device which only transmits a torque from the planetary gear train to the distributor shaft when a rotational speed difference between rotational speeds of the two output shafts exceeds a predetermined limit value and when a connection condition depending on an operating condition of the distributor motor is satisfied.

A vehicle speed control system operable to cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with a target speed value, the system being further operable automatically to control cross-axle locking means of an axle of the vehicle to cause an increase in resistance to relative rotation of wheels of the axle. Thus, the speed control system may be operable automatically to command the cross-axle locking means to increase the resistance to relative rotation of wheels of the axle without a driver being required to intervene to command assumption of this condition.

A method and apparatus for controlling traction of a vehicle with independent drives or motors connected to the wheels or other ground engaging apparatuses. Nominal torque allocations can be determined for a set of motors, the motors connected to ground engaging elements and including a front set of motors and a rear set of motors. The nominal torque allocations can be modified based on a lateral differential correction and a fore-aft differential correction to produce modified torque commands and the modified torque commands can be applied to the set of motors.