A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a truck, a tractor unit, a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, at a tandem, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

A vehicle control system may include a sensor network sensing vehicle attitude information and a controller operably coupled to the sensor network to determine, based on the vehicle attitude information, movement of a center of gravity of the vehicle relative to an axis of rotation of the vehicle. The controller may further determine a modification to a torque application of the vehicle based on the movement of the center of gravity of the vehicle relative to the axis of rotation of the vehicle.

A control method for driving series mode of a hybrid vehicle is suitable for a four-wheel drive powertrain of a hybrid vehicle and can further improve a charging efficiency by implementing a second series mode, in which a vehicle is driven by a second motor for driving rear wheels, which is employed for a four-wheel drive powertrain of a hybrid vehicle, and an energy storage device is charged by power generation operation of a first motor connected to an engine through an engine clutch, beside a first series mode in which a vehicle is driven by the first motor and the energy storage device is charged by power generation operation of a third motor directly connected to the engine so that the first series mode or the second series mode may be selected in accordance with driver request power and charge power for the energy storage device.

A traveling vehicle includes a pair of left and right driving wheels, a pair of left and right motors capable of driving the pair of left and right driving wheels independently of each other, an operational amount reception section capable of receiving operational amounts respectively for the pair of left and right motors, a setting section capable of setting a period of a first control method having a predetermined first control parameter and a period of a second control method having a predetermined second control parameter, within a predetermined control cycle for controlling driving of the motors, in accordance with the operational amounts and a motor driving section capable of driving the respective motors based on result of setting made by the setting section.

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

In one embodiment, an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) speed following system determines how much and when to apply a throttle or a brake control of an ADV to maneuver the ADV around, or to avoid, obstacles of a planned route. The speed following system calculates a first torque force to accelerate the ADV, a second torque force to counteract frictional forces and wind resistances to maintain a reference speed, and a third torque force to minimize an initial difference and external disturbances thereafter between predefined target speed and actual speed of the ADV over a planned route. The speed following system determines a throttle-brake torque force based on the first, second, and third torque forces and utilizes the throttle-brake torque force to control a subsequent speed of the ADV.

When an engine is started by causing a first motor coupled to first drive wheels to motor the engine while a hybrid vehicle is turning with the engine stopped, an electronic control unit controls output torque of a second motor, in such a direction as to curb change of a steering characteristic of the hybrid vehicle due to change of drive torque of the first drive wheels induced by motoring of the engine by the first motor.

A vehicle is proposed to control regeneration and reuse of captured energy in a through-the-road hybrid configuration. The vehicle comprises a vehicle frame, an energy store, and a controller. The vehicle frame is configured for over-the-roadway travel under a power of plural drive axles. At least one of the plural drive axles is coupled via a primary drivetrain to a fuel-fed engine to drive at least a pair of wheels. At least one other of the plural drive axles is an electrically-powered drive axle configured to supply supplemental torque to additional wheels. The energy store is configured to supply the electrically-powered drive axle with electrical power in a first mode of operation and receive energy recovered using the electrically-powered drive axle in a second mode of operation. The controller is coupled between the electrically-powered drive axle and one or more sensor inputs to transition between different modes of operation.

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.

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.