A hybrid powertrain system includes an internal combustion engine and a transmission arranged in a parallel configuration with a non-combustion torque machine to transfer traction power to a driveline. A method of controlling the hybrid powertrain system includes monitoring vehicle speed and an accelerator pedal position and determining a traction power command based thereon. A motor power that is input to the driveline from the torque machine is determined, and an adjusted engine power command is determined based upon the traction power command and the motor power from the torque machine. An adjusted accelerator pedal position is determined based upon the adjusted engine power command and the vehicle speed, and a preferred transmission state is determined based upon the adjusted accelerator pedal position and the vehicle speed. The transmission is controlled to the preferred transmission state.

A drivability target engine speed is set based on a shift stage based on an accelerator opening level and a vehicle speed and the vehicle speed, and a base driving force is set based on an accelerator required driving force and the drivability target engine speed. When an elapsed time after an accelerator depression amount increases is less than a threshold value, a correction driving force is set based on an increase in accelerator depression amount and an engine, a first motor, and a second motor are controlled such that an effective driving force obtained by adding the correction driving force to the base driving force is output to a drive shaft for a hybrid vehicle to travel.

A driving mode control method and apparatus of a hybrid electric vehicle are provided. The driving mode control method includes decreasing a torque of an engine when a first driving mode in which both the engine and a first motor are driven is switched to a second driving mode driven by the first motor and applying a torque of a second motor. A clutch is then opened when a difference between the engine torque and the second motor torque is less than a first threshold torque.

A cruising distance coefficient is set that is smaller than a value of 1 and that becomes smaller as a use index indicating a degree of use of external charging gets smaller, and a cruising distance is calculated by multiplying a fuel quantity by the set cruising distance coefficient and a fuel consumption coefficient. Then, a display cruising distance is calculated by subtracting from the cruising distance a value obtained by subtracting a set-time travel distance Lset, obtained when the cruising distance is calculated, from a travel distance from a travel distance meter, and the calculated display cruising distance is displayed on a display device in front of a driver's seat.

When an engine start command is generated to an engine that is in a stopped state, engine start control for cranking the engine and starting fuel combustion after increasing the engine speed is performed. In the engine start control, one of a first start pattern in which an initial combustion speed is higher than a resonance speed of the engine, and a second start pattern in which the initial combustion speed is lower than the resonance speed of the engine is selected according to the speed ratio (gear position) of a transmission. Cranking torque in the second start pattern is lower than the cranking torque in the first start pattern.

A vehicle includes an engine, an automatic transmission, a second clutch for engine disconnection, a rotating electric machine, a first clutch for rotating electric machine separation, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit switches the first clutch from a release state to an engagement state in a case where a collision of the vehicle occurs, the first clutch is in the release state, and a rotation speed of the rotating electric machine is higher than an input shaft rotation speed of the automatic transmission. In a case where the collision of the vehicle occurs, the first clutch is in the release state, and the rotation speed of the rotating electric machine is lower than the input shaft rotation speed of the automatic transmission, the first clutch is maintained in the release state.

A method (110), a device (10), and a powertrain (70) are provided for the safe operation of a hybrid vehicle (20). The hybrid vehicle has at least one first (30) and one second (40) drive assembly. The drive assemblies in each case drive the hybrid vehicle, alone or jointly in a hybrid type of operation. The first drive assembly is operated using fuel from a fuel tank (50). An amount of fuel in this fuel tank is monitored. If the amount of fuel is smaller than a specifiable value, then a safety operation of the hybrid vehicle is activated. During the safety operation, the output of the second drive assembly is reduced if the hybrid vehicle is driven using a type of operation which negatively influences the driving dynamics of the hybrid vehicle in the case of a failure of the first drive assembly.

A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a first rotating electrical machine, a second rotating electrical machine, a pair of power lines, a first inverter, a second inverter, a battery, a converter, a voltage sensor, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to determine that the voltage sensor is normal and perform a first evacuation running control when an output of the voltage sensor changes by the predetermined value or more while a voltage change process is carried out. The electronic control unit is configured to control the converter to a gate shutoff state, control a motive power of the engine in such a manner as to rotate the first rotating electrical machine and put the first rotating electrical machine into a regeneration state, and control the second rotating electrical machine to a power running state, as the first evacuation running control.

A drivetrain system includes a controller that is programmed to, in a presence of a request for increased drivetrain torque that results in reversal of drivetrain torque direction, command an increase in drivetrain torque at a reduced rate while a value that is based on drivetrain speed difference remains within a predetermined range absent a braking torque request exceeding a threshold. The controller is further programmed to command the increase at an accelerated rate upon the braking torque request exceeding the threshold.

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.