A four-wheel drive vehicle includes: (a) main drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels; (b) a rotating machine as a drive power source; (c) a drive-power distribution clutch configured to allocate a part of a drive power outputted to the main drive wheels from the drive power source, to the auxiliary drive wheels, so as to distribute the drive power to the main drive wheels and the auxiliary drive wheels with a drive-power distribution ratio between the auxiliary drive wheels and the main drive wheels, such that the drive-power distribution ratio is variable with an engaging force of the drive-power distribution clutch being controlled; and (d) a control apparatus configured, when determining that a heat load of the drive-power distribution clutch is large during deceleration running of the vehicle, to limit a regenerative torque of the rotating machine, as compared with when determining that the heat load is small.

A collinear relationship is satisfied in which rotation speeds of first to third rotation elements and rotation speeds of fourth to sixth rotation elements are arranged respectively in this sequence on a single straight line in a collinear diagram. The first and fourth rotation elements are connected with first and second power sources respectively. The second and fifth rotation elements are connected with first and second driven units respectively. The second and sixth rotation elements are connected with each other by a first connecting mechanism in a way that rotating directions thereof are the same, and rotation speed of the former is greater than that of the later. The third and fifth rotation elements are connected with each other by a second connecting mechanism in a way that rotating directions thereof are the same, and rotation speed of the former is greater than that of the later.

An apparatus comprising an interface, a memory and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle. The memory may be configured to store the sensor data samples over a number of points in time. The processor may be configured to analyze the sensor data samples stored in the memory to detect a pattern. The processor may be configured to manage an application of brakes of the vehicle in response to the pattern.

A vehicle includes an engine, an electric machine, a battery, and at least one controller. The vehicle may further comprise a port for supplying power to a load external to the vehicle. The controller is programmed to operate the engine at a power level based on a difference between a battery voltage and a reference voltage such that a power output by the electric machine reduces the difference. The power level may define an engine operating point that minimizes fuel consumption. The operating point may be an engine torque and an engine speed. The power level may be further based on a state of charge of the battery. The electric machine may be operated to cause the engine to rotate at an engine speed corresponding to the selected power level. The difference may be caused by varying power drawn by a load external to the vehicle.

Through-the-road (TTR) hybrid designs using control strategies such as an equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) or an adaptive ECMS are implemented at the supplemental torque delivering electrically-powered drive axle (or axles) in a manner that follows operational parameters or computationally estimates states of the primary drivetrain and/or fuel-fed engine, but does not itself participate in control of the fuel-fed engine or primary drivetrain. BSFC type data particular to the paired-with fuel-fed engine allows an ECMS implementation (or other similar control strategy) to adapt to efficiency curves for the particular fuel-fed engine and to improve overall efficiencies of the TTR hybrid configuration.

An apparatus comprising an interface, a memory and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle. The memory may be configured to store the sensor data samples over a number of points in time. The processor may be configured to analyze the sensor data samples stored in the memory to detect a pattern. The processor may be configured to manage an application of brakes of the vehicle in response to the pattern.

A method of controlling gear shifting in an electric vehicle includes: determining whether or not an electric vehicle travels in an electric vehicle (EV) traveling mode; determining whether or not kick-down gear shifting is required in the EV traveling mode; determining whether or not acceleration linearity control is possible, in a case where the kick-down gear shifting is required; performing correction of a torque of a motor in a case where the acceleration linearity control is possible; and performing gear shifting in a transmission on the basis of the corrected torque of the motor.

An apparatus comprising an interface, a memory and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle. The memory may be configured to store the sensor data samples over a number of points in time. The processor may be configured to analyze the sensor data samples stored in the memory to detect a pattern. The processor may be configured to manage an application of brakes of the vehicle in response to the pattern.

An apparatus comprising an interface, a memory and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle. The memory may be configured to store the sensor data samples over a number of points in time. The processor may be configured to analyze the sensor data samples stored in the memory to detect a pattern. The processor may be configured to manage an application of brakes of the vehicle in response to the pattern.

An engine control device for an electric vehicle having an electrical rotating machine, includes: an engine control unit determining an engine rotational speed and an engine torque such that a particulate number of particulate matter per unit gas quantity that the engine releases into an atmosphere becomes equal to or less than a target value having been set in association with a warm-up state of the engine, the engine rotational speed, and the engine torque, and such that the engine rotational speed when a vehicle speed is less than a threshold value is lower than the engine rotational speed when the vehicle speed is equal to or more than the threshold value, and controlling the engine based on the determined engine rotational speed and the engine torque.