A tethered charging and recharging (TCR) drone assembly system is provided. The TCR drone assembly system may be a nurse vehicle-based, a master/slave vehicle-based, a stationary structure and/or free standing TCR drone assembly system. The TCR drone assembly system is especially suitable for use on moving vehicles, for example, a self-propelled conventional type vehicle operated by an operator and/or autonomous or slave autonomous vehicle with no operator on board. The TRC drone assembly system may quickly couple and may deliver energy charges, recharges or other types of power propellants to vehicles while the vehicles are stationary or in motion. The assemblies are especially suitable for providing power to vehicles when only limited downtime of the vehicles is desired. The assemblies are suitable for use in, for example, the agricultural, construction, defense or other industries.

Systems and methods effective to reduce a drag coefficient in a vehicle are described. A system methods may receive first air directed towards an air intake structure at a first speed. The air intake structure may transform the first air into second air of a second speed. The system may direct the second air from the air intake structure to a tunnel structure. The tunnel structure may include an entrance and an exit, where a cross-sectional area of the entrance may be less than a cross-sectional area of the exit. The tunnel structure may expand the second air into expanded air. A third speed of the expanded air may be less than the second speed of the second air. The system may create a second drag coefficient, where the second drag coefficient may be less than the first drag coefficient.

A power conversion system includes an AC to DC conversion circuit, a voltage detector, a step-down chopper circuit, a power conversion device for auxiliary power sources, and a control unit. The AC to DC conversion circuit converts AC power supplied from overhead wires via a transformer into DC power. The voltage detector detects a voltage of AC power supplied from the transformer. The step-down chopper circuit steps down the voltage of DC power produced through conversion by the AC to DC conversion circuit. The power conversion device for auxiliary power sources converts the DC power stepped down by the step-down chopper circuit into power for driving loads mounted in an electric vehicle and supplies it to the loads. The control unit controls the AC to DC conversion circuit and the step-down chopper circuit such that the voltage of AC power detected by the voltage detector approaches a reference voltage.

There is provided a route guidance apparatus including a route search unit which searches for at least one route, to a predetermined destination, which is to be traveled by an electric vehicle propelled by electric power stored in a secondary battery provided within the vehicle, and a power consumption calculation unit which calculates power consumption of the electric vehicle when a route to a destination, which was searched for by the route search unit, is traveled by the electric vehicle, based on information on electric power to be consumed when the electric vehicle travels and geographical information relating to the route.

A method for controlling a power train and corresponding system. A method for controlling a power train equipping a motor vehicle and comprising an electric motor provided with a rotor and a stator, said method comprising the regulation of the currents of the rotor and the stator delivering control signals to the electric motor, said currents to be regulated and said control signals being expressed in a rotating reference system and comprising a plurality of axes. The method includes a measurement of the values of the currents of the rotor and the stator, a transformation of said measurements into said rotating reference system, a determination of minimum and maximum limits for each of the currents on the basis of said control signals, and a comparison of the measured signals with said minimum and maximum limits.

A charging apparatus for a vehicle having an energy accumulator includes a charging socket with nine electrically assignable contacts by which the user of the vehicle may establish a charging connection independently of the type of charging supported by the charging source and the used plug.

Techniques for controlling dispatch of electric vehicles (EVs) to perform vehicle-to-grid regulation of power of an electric grid are presented. An aggregator component can individually control transitioning respective EVs of a set of EVs between a charging state and a not-charging state. The aggregator component includes a dispatch controller component (DCC) that can employ a defined dispatch algorithm for EVs to facilitate enabling the DCC to perform unidirectional regulation. The DCC can switch EV charging stations on and off using remote switches to meet a system regulation signal. The DCC can use the dispatch algorithm to make determinations regarding which EV to switch using charging priorities, in accordance defined power regulation criterion(s). The aggregator component can reduce communication signals used to adjust dispatch by sending switching signals to only those EVs of the set of EVs that are changing their charging state at a given time.

A modular electric vehicle system, allowing for the assembly of many different vehicle configurations using a plurality of interchangeable vehicle assembly modules, including at least two powered vehicle assembly modules in an assembled vehicle each of which has self-contained drive and power systems and controls which can be connected together by a central network bus on the vehicle. At least one of the powered vehicle assembly modules will be a steering module, with the necessary additional controls and components to steer the axle thereon and in turn steer the assembled vehicle. The connection of the network bus and the modules would be done in an interchangeable way so that different modules could be interchangeably placed in the assembled vehicle. Various steering systems, control methodologies and vehicle attachments are also disclosed.

An on-vehicle power supply system and an electric vehicle are provided. The on-vehicle power supply system includes: a power battery (10); a charge-discharge socket (20) connected with an external load (1001); a three-level bidirectional DC-AC module (30) having a first DC terminal connected with a first terminal of the power battery (10) and a second DC terminal connected with a second terminal of the power battery (10); a charge-discharge control module (50) having a first terminal connected with an AC terminal of the three-level bidirectional DC-AC module (30) and a second terminal connected with the charge-discharge socket (20); and a control module (60) connected with the charge-discharge control module (50) and the three-level bidirectional DC-AC module (30), and configured to control the three-level bidirectional DC-AC module (30) to convert a DC voltage of the power battery (10) into an AC voltage.

A degradation estimation method system of a high voltage battery is provided that detect degradation of a battery. The degradation estimation method includes obtaining, by a controller, information about an input voltage, an input current and an external temperature of a slow charger. The controller is configured to calculate an output power used for charging the battery, based on an input power calculated based on the input voltage and the input current. In addition, the method includes calculating, by the controller, a mean charging current based on the output power and the battery charging voltage and calculating a battery degradation degree based on the mean charging current.