A hill descent system for a vehicle and a control method thereof comprising: wheels; wheel speed sensors used for detecting the speeds of the wheels; motors used for selectively driving or braking the wheels; a motor controllers, for controlling the working states of the motors; resolver sensors for detecting the rotational speeds of the motors; and a vehicle control unit for determining the actual downhill speed of the vehicle and adjusting the working states of the motors to control the descent of the vehicle.

A vehicle control device that includes a search unit that searches, based on geographic information to be supplied from a navigation device, for a deceleration start position before a downhill that is suited to regeneration by a motor; and a charge level control unit that performs, when a vehicle reaches the deceleration start position, deceleration control for reducing a charge level of a battery by reducing a vehicle speed. When the charge level control unit performs the deceleration control, the vehicle speed is reduced by reducing a driving force of the vehicle to a level at which only motor output is used as the driving force.

Downhill charge sustain battery protection strategy is disclosed. For one example, a vehicle is powered by an electric motor and battery. The vehicle includes a vehicle control unit (VCU) to control friction braking and regenerative braking for the vehicle. For one example, the VCU is configured to implement a method comprising detecting a condition to switch back and forth between regenerative braking and friction braking. For one example, the detected condition is a charge sustain event such as, for example, the vehicle being at a top of a hill or going down a hill in a lift condition (no pedals pressed) and the battery is fully charged at maximum state of charge (SOC) or voltage limit.

A vehicle control device includes an engine, and a motor that is driven by power to be supplied from a battery, the vehicle control device controlling a vehicle that uses at least one of engine output and motor output as a driving force. The vehicle control device includes a regeneration control and a downhill-acceleration control unit. The regeneration control unit causes the motor to perform regeneration on a downhill. The downhill-acceleration control unit performs downhill acceleration control for causing, in a specific zone on the downhill, the vehicle to travel at increased speed without allowing the vehicle to use the engine output as drive output, and without causing the motor to perform the regeneration.

A power control system may include at least one of batteries, a motor, and a data logic analyzer that can interpret certain variable conditions of a transport, such as a tractor trailer, moving along a road or highway. The data can be used to determine when to apply supplemental power to the wheels of a trailer to reduce fuel usage. One example device may include at least one of: a power creation module that generates electrical power, a battery which store the electrical power, a motor affixed to a trailer axle of a trailer which provides a turning force to the trailer axle when enabled to operate from the stored electrical power of the battery, and a motor controller configured to initiate the motor to operate according to a predefined sensor condition.

A vehicle braking system includes one or more traction motors and an electrical device configured to be electrically coupled with the one or more traction motors. The one or more traction motors are configured to propel a vehicle and to generate electric power during rollback of the vehicle down a grade. The electrical device is configured to consume the electric power generated from the rollback of the vehicle by performing work with the electric power during the rollback of the vehicle.

A control method for an electric vehicle controls braking force when the accelerator operation amount is less than a prescribed value and controls drive force when the accelerator operation amount is at least a prescribed value. The electric vehicle control method estimates disturbance torque that acts on the motor as a resistance component relating to gradient; and executes correction whereby the braking force or the drive force is increased/decreased on the basis of the disturbance torque estimated value, such that the resistance component is negated. A determination is made regarding whether or not the accelerator operation amount is a partial equivalent amount and, if at least either the accelerator operation amount on a downhill road is greater than the partial equivalent amount or the accelerator operation amount on an uphill road is less than the partial equivalent amount, the correction amount is reduced.

A method for controlling a vehicle that includes a motor configured to provide a driving/braking force to the vehicle and a friction braking mechanism configured to provide a friction brake force to the vehicle includes a target calculation step of calculating a target torque of the motor in accordance with a displacement of an accelerator pedal, a gradient estimation step of estimating a gradient torque to cancel a disturbance due to a gradient of a road surface where the vehicle is travelling, a command calculation step of calculating a torque command value of the motor based on the gradient torque and the target torque, a control step of controlling a torque of the motor in accordance with the torque command value, and a stop control step.

Systems and methods provide accurate determinations of relevant vehicle mass that can take into account any load being carried and/or towed by a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle. Systems and methods also provide accurate road load measurements that can take into account road gradient(s) and the impact of gravity. Accordingly, the dynamic nature of relevant vehicle mass and road load can be captured. Efforts to optimize operation and/or take preemptive action to provide more efficient performance, enhance the drive experience, etc. can be better achieved through the more accurate determinations of relevant vehicle mass and road load achieved by these systems and methods.

A method of operating a vehicle comprising at least a first vehicle retarding subsystem controllable to retard the vehicle, and processing circuitry coupled to the at least first vehicle retarding subsystem, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring, by the processing circuitry from the first vehicle retarding subsystem, at least one value indicative of current energy accumulation by the first vehicle retarding subsystem; and determining, by the processing circuitry, a measure indicative of a retardation energy capacity currently available for retardation of the vehicle, based on: the acquired at least one value indicative of current energy accumulation by the first vehicle retarding subsystem; a predefined model of retardation energy accumulation by the first vehicle retarding subsystem; and a predefined limit indicative of a maximum allowed energy accumulation by the first vehicle retarding subsystem.