A trailer load limit protection system limits operation of a vehicle when towing a trailer having a weight that exceeds a maximum allowable weight limit for the vehicle. The protection system limits operation of the vehicle when it determines an actual acceleration of the vehicle when towing the trailer is less than a predicted vehicle acceleration for the vehicle when towing a trailer having a weight equal to a maximum allowable trailer weight for the vehicle. Vehicle operation is also limited when it is determined that an actual transmission shift point is occurring before a predicted transmission shift point for the vehicle when towing a trailer having a weight equal to a maximum allowable trailer weight for the vehicle. Vehicle operation is limited by controlling a maximum allowable speed of the vehicle or preventing the transmission on the vehicle from being shifted from a park position to a drive position.

Methods and apparatus to control stability of a vehicle and trailer are disclosed. An example apparatus to control stability of a vehicle and trailer includes stability monitoring circuitry to determine, based on sensor data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, whether a vehicle stability condition associated with the vehicle is satisfied, and stability control circuitry to, in response to the vehicle stability condition not being satisfied, adjust a load distribution on front wheels and rear wheels of the vehicle by adjusting a vehicle pitch.

The invention is a system for automatically adjusting drive modes based on weight. The system includes a weight determination system, a data input device configured to receive input data, and a processing device. The processing devices includes a processor and non-volatile memory. The processor is configured to receive weight data from the weight determination system, receive the input data from the data input device, and receive a user input. The processor is also configured to determine at least one drive mode setting based on the weight data, the input data and the user input, send the drive mode setting data to a vehicle control system, and communicate the drive mode setting to a user.

An exemplary method to disengage a brake transmission shift interlock feature of a vehicle includes the steps of receiving vehicle characteristic data from at least one vehicle sensor, determining a current road grade, determining a vehicle brake pressure target, receiving vehicle brake pressure data from at least one vehicle sensor, and generating a control signal to disengage the brake transmission shift interlock feature if the vehicle brake pressure reaches the vehicle brake pressure target.

An exemplary method to disengage a brake transmission shift interlock feature of a vehicle includes the steps of receiving vehicle characteristic data from at least one vehicle sensor, determining a current road grade, determining a vehicle brake pressure target, receiving vehicle brake pressure data from at least one vehicle sensor, and generating a control signal to disengage the brake transmission shift interlock feature if the vehicle brake pressure reaches the vehicle brake pressure target.

Methods and apparatus to prevent trailer sway are disclosed. An example apparatus to prevent trailer sway of a trailer coupled to a vehicle includes prediction circuitry to predict, based on sensor data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, whether a trailer sway condition associated with the vehicle is likely to occur, and control activation circuitry to, in response to the prediction that the trailer sway is likely to occur, activate at least one vehicle control of the vehicle to prevent the trailer sway condition from occurring, the at least one vehicle control to include applying torque to at least one of one or more trailer wheels of the trailer or one or more vehicle wheels of the vehicle.

A vehicle control device is configured to control a vehicle. The vehicle control device is capable of deriving a required driving force required for traveling of the vehicle based on an output requirement received from a driver, and controlling a driving force of the vehicle using the required driving force as a target value. The vehicle control device is configured to transition to a second traveling mode when the required driving force increases while the vehicle is traveling in a first traveling mode. The vehicle control device is configured to perform driving force reduction control, in which an amount of increase in the required driving force accompanying an increase in the output requirement is made smaller than an amount of increase in the required driving force in a normal state, at a time of performing transition to the second traveling mode.

The disclosure relates to a system for controlling a hybrid vehicle having a primary power source such as an electric motor and a secondary power source such as an internal combustion engine, the electric motor and internal combustion engine each being connectable to a driveline of the vehicle. The system comprises a control unit operable to cause the internal combustion engine to be pre-emptively initiated and subsequently connected to the driveline. The control unit is configured and arranged to determine when the vehicle is in a first driving mode (wherein the internal combustion engine is not initiated and is disconnected from the driveline of the vehicle and wherein the electric motor and battery pack are delivering a torque to the driveline in response to a driver demanded torque). The control unit is further configured and arranged to determine that a steering angle of the vehicle and a situational status of the vehicle are indicative of a driving situation in which an expected driver demanded torque will not be met by the primary power source alone. In response thereto, the control unit is configured and arranged to automatically and pre-emptively cause the internal combustion engine to be initiated and connected to the driveline at a time before the actual driver demanded torque reaches or exceeds said expected driver demanded torque.

An electronic control unit stores a vehicle load at the time when the vehicle is switched into an ignition off state, stops operation of an electric oil pump when the vehicle load is small, and operates the electric oil pump when the vehicle load is large. Thus, a decrease in service life due to an increase in the number of times of the start of the electric oil pump is suppressed, and, when it is estimated that the vehicle load is large, the response of the start of a vehicle, which makes a driver experience a feeling of strangeness, is improved by starting the electric oil pump together with switching the vehicle into an ignition on state.

A vehicle control device includes a detecting unit that detects a towing state of a subject vehicle, a recognizing unit that recognizes surrounding situations of the subject vehicle, a control unit that performs automatic control in which at least one of acceleration-and-deceleration and steering of the subject vehicle is automatically controlled on the basis of the surrounding situations of the subject vehicle recognized by the recognizing unit, and a changing unit that changes, if the detecting unit has detected that the subject vehicle is in a state of towing an object, details of control performed by the control unit in such a manner that it is less likely to perform the automatic control than in the case where the detecting unit has not detected that the subject vehicle is in a state of towing an object.