A method of controlling a powertrain of a vehicle is carried out such that during shifting in which a first clutch is released and a second clutch is engaged, whether a current shift phase is a torque phase or an inertia phase is determined. Different cost functions for the torque phase and the inertia phase are predefined. A control input change for minimizing the cost functions in the torque phase and the inertia phase is calculated. At least two among input torque, first clutch torque, or second clutch torque input to a transmission are controlled by applying the control input change calculated for the torque phase and the inertia phase.

In a hybrid vehicle control system, when a first traveling mode using torque of an electric motor is switched to a second traveling mode using torque of an engine, a controller performs an engine start control by applying an engagement pressure to a first clutch and by cranking the engine by the electric motor, so as to start the engine. Specifically, the controller obtains a predicted start time and an actual start time by the engine start control, and corrects the engagement pressure so as to decrease the engagement pressure applied to the first clutch at a subsequent time of starting the engine, when the actual start time is shorter than the predicted start time.

A hybrid vehicle includes an electric motor and a combustion engine. A K0 clutch couples the combustion engine to a drivetrain of the vehicle. A control module of the vehicle calculates a torque to be applied by the motor to the K0 clutch when initiating engagement of the combustion engine to the drivetrain. The control module calculates two separate torque lead values by two separate methods and calculates the torque by combining the two torque lead values.

A method for operating a hybrid vehicle that includes a prime mover (1) with an internal combustion engine (2), an electric machine (3), a transmission (4) connected between the prime mover (1) and a driven end (5), and multiple shift elements, including a separating clutch (7) connected between the internal combustion engine (2) and the electric machine (3), and a starting component (8), is provided. After release of a brake pedal (12) or together with the release of the brake pedal (12) for a driving start or an crawling start, an engagement speed threshold (22) for the starting component (8) is established below an idling speed of the prime mover (1) and a previously disengaged starting component (8) is engaged. A control unit (9, 10, 11) for carrying out such a method is also provided.

Methods and systems for tuning vehicle drivability are provided. The vehicle system includes, in one example, a vehicle control unit (VCU) that is designed to electronically communicate with a human machine interface (HMI). In the system, the VCU is designed to, in reaction to receiving an acceleration or deceleration request from the HMI, send a virtual acceleration or deceleration command to a transmission control unit (TCU), where the virtual acceleration or deceleration command correlates to the acceleration or deceleration request and the correlation is user adjustable via a user interface (UI) of the VCU.

A CPU of a control device is configured to perform a specific cylinder fuel cutoff process of causing an internal combustion engine to operate such that supply of fuel to some cylinders out of a plurality of cylinders is stopped and supply of fuel to the other cylinders is maintained and a fastening force decreasing process of decreasing a fastening force of a lockup clutch of a torque converter. The CPU is configured to start the specific cylinder fuel cutoff process in a state in which the fastening force has been decreased through the fastening force decreasing process when the specific cylinder fuel cutoff process is performed in a state in which the internal combustion engine operates with a load.

The controller is programmed to perform first control that controls a driving force distributor such as to decrease a distribution rate upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition that a frequency of at least one rotation fluctuation of an output member of the drive system, a main drive wheel and a sub drive wheel is within a predetermined area, compared with the distribution rate upon non-satisfaction of the predetermined condition.

A transmission includes an input shaft and an output shaft, the input shaft selectively accepting a torque input from a prime mover, and the output shaft selectively providing torque output to a driveline. A controller determines a shaft displacement angle representing an angle value of rotational displacement difference between at least two shafts of the transmission, and performs a transmission operation responsive to the shaft displacement angle.

A vehicle control apparatus includes an overlapping-prediction determination portion configured to determine whether or not it is predicted that, during execution of a synchronous control for placing a clutch, which is provided between an engine and an electric motor, into an engaged state, a synchronization-completion time point of the clutch overlaps with an inertia phase period in process of a shift control of a transmission, and a torque limitation portion configured, when the overlapping-prediction determination portion determines that it is predicted that the synchronization-completion time point overlaps with the inertia phase period, to execute a torque limitation by which at least one of a torque capacity of the clutch and an output torque of the engine is made smaller than when the overlapping-prediction determination portion determines that it is not predicted that the synchronization-completion time point overlaps with the inertia phase period.

A hybrid vehicle of the disclosure includes an engine, a motor that outputs a torque to a driving system, a hydraulic clutch that connects the engine with the motor and disconnects the engine from the motor, and a control device that performs slip control of the hydraulic clutch in response to satisfaction of a start condition of the engine and controls the motor to output at least a cranking torque to the engine. The control device sets a target value of a rotation speed difference between the engine and the motor during execution of the slip control, and increases at least one of a hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic clutch, an output torque of the motor and an output torque of the engine when a difference between the rotation speed difference and the target value is out of an allowable range. This configuration ensures good startability of the engine.