Systems and methods are provided herein for operating an electric vehicle in a vehicle yaw mode. The electric vehicle includes a normal driving mode where the electric vehicle is steered by turning the steerable wheels (e.g., left or right) and vehicle yaw mode where the vehicle controls the torque applied to each wheel. In response to receiving input to initiate vehicle yaw mode and yaw direction, the system determines the inner wheels and the outer wheels and provides forward torque to the outer wheels of the vehicle and backward torque to the inner wheels of the vehicle to rotate the vehicle.

A vehicle control system for reducing turn radius of a vehicle may include electric motors associated with front and rear wheels of the vehicle. The system may further include a plurality of vehicle sensors to receive information including driving surface type, vehicle speed and handwheel position. The system may also include a controller operably coupled to the electric motors and the sensors to control wheel slip during a turn based on the driving surface type, the vehicle speed and the handwheel position.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for driving rear-wheels of an environment-friendly vehicle. The apparatus for driving rear-wheels may include: a rear-wheel driver including a first motor and a second motor configured to respectively drive first and second rear wheels; a rear-wheel reducer configured to decelerate drive forces of the first and second motors and transmit the respective decelerated drive forces to the first and second rear wheels; a brake configured to releasably fix the rear-wheel reducer to a vehicle body; and a controller configured to control the rear-wheel driver, the rear-wheel reducer, and the brake. The rear-wheel reducer may include: a first planetary gear set disposed between an output end of the first motor and the first rear wheel; a second planetary gear set disposed between an output end of the second motor and the second rear wheel; and a ring gear coupled to the first and second planetary gear sets.

A behavior control apparatus is provided which is configured to calculate a first normative yaw rate of the vehicle based on a vehicle speed, a steering angle and a lateral acceleration of the vehicle, to calculate a second normative yaw rate of the vehicle based on a vehicle speed and a steering angle, to determine, when deflection control is not being performed, that vehicle behavior is unstable when an absolute value of a first yaw rate deviation between the first normative yaw rate and an actual yaw rate of the vehicle is larger than a first reference value, and to determine, when the deflection control is being performed, that vehicle behavior is unstable when an absolute value of a second yaw rate deviation between the second normative yaw rate and an actual yaw rate of the vehicle is larger than a second reference value.

A control apparatus for a four-wheel-drive vehicle is configured to determine whether or not a degree of a yaw movement for deflecting the vehicle to a left or right side is larger than a predetermined first degree. When the degree of the yaw movement is larger than the first degree, the control apparatus increases a coupling torque of a coupling device corresponding to a rear wheel at the same side as a direction of the yaw movement to a predetermined first torque value, and maintains at zero a coupling torque of a coupling device corresponding to a rear wheel at an opposite side to the direction of the yaw movement.

A control unit for a vehicle having an active steering system capable of changing a steering gear ratio between a steering angle of a steering wheel and a tire steering angle includes a steering turning assist controller and a left-right driving force controller. The steering turning assist controller controls the steering gear ratio so that a yaw rate generated by the vehicle becomes a target yaw rate to assist a turning of the vehicle. The left-right driving force controller controls, in the left and right electric drive wheels which each add a yaw moment to a vehicle body independently of a steering system and are able to be independently driven, driving forces of the electric drive wheels so that the yaw rate generated by the vehicle becomes the target yaw rate based on a roll of the vehicle.

A vehicle combination comprising a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle, each vehicle including wheels on different sides of the vehicle and wheel brakes associated with the wheels. A method for controlling the vehicle combination includes determining a yaw rate difference between a yaw rate of the tractor vehicle and a yaw rate of the trailer vehicle; determining, on the basis of the yaw rate difference, that an orientation of one of the vehicles deviates from an intended travel direction of the vehicle combination; and activating a wheel brake of the vehicle on only one side of the vehicle in order to counter the orientation deviation of the vehicle relative to the intended travel direction.

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for limiting a load applied to a rotatable shaft joint. An example apparatus comprises a comparator to, based on at least one of an angle of a rotatable shaft joint or a torque applied to the joint, determine whether at least one of the torque or the angle exceeds a threshold, and a limiter to limit at least one of the angle or the torque when at least one of the torque or the angle exceeds the threshold.

A motor vehicle controller configured to reduce net drive torque applied to one or more driving wheels of a first axle of a driveline when an amount of slip of a driving wheel of the first axle exceeds a first predetermined threshold value. The controller controls torque applied to wheels of a second axle and determines when the vehicle is operating in a split-mu condition in which slip of a driving wheel on one side of each of the two axles exceeds that of a driving wheel on an opposite side of the axles by more than a predetermined amount. The controller performs a split-mu mitigation operation by reducing net torque applied to a driving wheel of the axle that is experiencing the greater slip when an amount of slip of that driving wheel exceeds a second predetermined threshold value less than the first predetermined threshold value.

A method for actively controlling the balance characteristics of a vehicle includes the following steps: (a) determining an aerodynamic balance, vehicle balance, or both of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a vehicle body, an aerodynamic element coupled to the vehicle body, a rear axle, a front axle, a pair of wheels coupled to the rear axle, a pair of rear wheels coupled to the rear axle, a pair of front wheels coupled to the front axle, an electronic limited slip differential (eLSD) coupled to the rear axle, and the vehicle balance is based on an aerodynamic downforce on the vehicle; (b) determining that there is surplus downforce capacity available based on the vehicle balance; and (c) controlling, by a controller, the eLSD in response to determining that there is surplus downforce capacity available.