A driver of a vehicle applies an actuation force to an accelerator device such as an accelerator pedal or a twist-grip throttle of the vehicle to deflect the accelerator device to an actual deflection angle (φ.sub.act), which is detected. A restoring force acts on the accelerator device opposite the actuation force. An electronic controller determines a nominal deflection angle (φ.sub.nom) to which the accelerator device shall be deflected, based on inputs such as an actual speed of the subject vehicle, a relative speed of the subject vehicle relative to a leading vehicle driving ahead of the subject vehicle, an actual distance of the subject vehicle to the leading vehicle, and a nominal distance at which the subject vehicle shall follow the leading vehicle. The restoring force on the accelerator device is modulated as a function of the difference between the actual deflection angle (φ.sub.act) and the nominal deflection angle (φ.sub.nom).

A method is provided to control the acceleration of a motor vehicle from a current speed, wherein the motor vehicle includes an accelerator pedal system able to generate on the accelerator pedal an added reaction force when the depression of the accelerator pedal reaches a given depression level. The method includes the steps of: a) measuring the current vehicle speed; b) determining a target speed of the motor vehicle in function at least of the current vehicle speed or determining from the current vehicle speed a maximum acceleration rate; c) determining at least one threshold depression level of the accelerator pedal that corresponds to the stabilization of the vehicle speed at the target speed or that corresponds to maximum acceleration rate; d) generating an added reaction force on the accelerator pedal if the depression of the accelerator pedal reaches or is about to reach the threshold depression level; wherein at least steps a), b), and c) are automatically repeated as vehicle speed increases.

The controller of the electric vehicle is configured to control the torque of the electric motor using the MT vehicle model based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal, the operation amount of the pseudo-clutch pedal, and the shift position of the pseudo-shifter. The electric vehicle also includes a shift reaction force generator that generates a shift reaction force in response to the operation of the pseudo-shifter using by the operating of the reaction force actuator. The controller is configured to store the shift reaction force characteristic simulating the characteristic of the shift reaction force according to the operation of the shifter. Then, the controller is configured to control the shift reaction force output by the shift reaction force generator according to the operation of the pseudo-shifter using the stored shift reaction force characteristic.

An integrated control apparatus for driving a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a lever housing mounted in an interior space of the vehicle; a joystick lever coupled to the lever housing and configured to be rotatable in a forward-backward direction and a leftward-rightward direction; and a gentle acceleration lever coupled to the joystick lever and configured to be rotatable in the forward-backward direction. When the gentle acceleration lever is operated, a gentle acceleration signal of the vehicle is generated, and when the joystick lever is operated, one of a sudden acceleration signal, a deceleration signal, a steering signal, or a braking signal of the vehicle is generated.

A dashboard assembly for a vehicle includes a dashboard defining a receiving niche. The niche is alignable with a driver seat location, and is selectively fillable by each of a removable steering module and a removable filler module. The removable steering module includes a steering module base. A steering wheel support is fixed to the steering module base. A steering wheel is rotatably fixed to the steering wheel support. A steering wheel connector connects the steering wheel to a vehicle steering actuator. The removable filler module includes a filler module base.

An active accelerator pedal for a vehicle includes a pedal unit and an actuator unit. The pedal unit includes a pedal that is pivotable about a pivot axis. The actuator unit includes an electrical device and a worm gear positioned between the electrical drive and the pedal unit. The worm gear includes a worm and a driven worm element. The actuator unit is configured to apply a counterforce in a direction opposite to a pedal force exerted on the pedal.

A pedal reaction force applying device includes an acceleration pedal used in a stepping-in operation and a returning operation, a motor configured to apply a pedal reaction force acting on an acceleration pedal in the stepping-in operation and the returning operation, a power transmitting device provided between the acceleration pedal and the motor and including a speed-reduction mechanism, an operation direction determiner configured to determine an operation direction of the acceleration pedal, and a reaction force controller configured to control the pedal reaction force on the acceleration pedal. The reaction force controller controls a magnitude of the pedal reaction force by controlling a power of the motor based on the operation direction of the acceleration pedal determined by the operation direction determiner.

An accelerator pedal device includes a housing which pivotably supports a pedal arm, a return spring, a magnetic position sensor which detects an angular position of the pedal arm, and a drive source, a return lever, and a control circuit board serving as an active control mechanism which controls to push back the pedal arm toward a rest position under predetermined conditions, a circuit for a Hall element of the position sensor is arranged on the control circuit board. According to the above, a conventionally-required circuit board dedicated to a position sensor is not required to be arranged and the position sensor is connected via bus bars and the like while eliminating lead wire and the like.

A reaction force control system for a pedal that is configured to stably operate a vehicle in which an operating mode can be shifted between normal and one-pedal modes, without requiring a complicated operation, and without disturbing a driver. An operating mode is selected from a one-pedal mode in which a drive force and a brake force are controlled by manipulating an accelerator pedal, and a normal mode in which drive force is controlled by manipulating the accelerator pedal, and the brake force is controlled by manipulating the brake pedal. Reaction force applied to the accelerator pedal is increased for a predetermined period of time when shifting from one of the operating modes to the other one, and thereafter the reaction force is adjusted in accordance with a position of the accelerator pedal in the other one of the operating modes.

A method for determining jumps and/or inflection points in an activation characteristic of an activation unit includes activating the activation unit using an activator, wherein different activation areas, separated from one another by the jumps and/or inflection points, are defined by the activation characteristic. Different activation forces for activating the activator are respectively set in the activation areas. The jumps and/or inflection points are determined by activating the activator by continuously determining activation travel values of the activator, respectively assigning an activation speed characteristic variable to the determined activation travel values, continuously forming value pairs from the determined activation travel value and the assigned activation speed characteristic variable, and checking, based on the value pairs which are formed whether significant changes occur in the activation speed. The jumps and/or inflection points in the activation characteristic are assigned to activation travel values at which significant changes occur in activation speed.