A battery system for a motor vehicle or other system includes a voltage bus with positive and negative bus rails, and first and second battery packs. The battery packs are arranged between and connected to rails. High-voltage switches are collectively configured to selectively interconnect the battery packs in a series or parallel battery arrangement. The switches include a pair of mutually-exclusive three-way/two-position contactors each having a series connection position and parallel connection position corresponding to the respective series and parallel battery arrangements. An electric powertrain includes an electrical load connected to the battery system, and a controller coupled to the switches. In response to a battery mode selection signal, the controller selectively transitions the contactors from the series connection position to the parallel connection position, or vice versa. A motor vehicle includes road wheels, a body, and the electric powertrain.

In an electric vehicle, a power supplier includes a software type condenser charging circuit and a hardware type condenser charging circuit. The software capacitor charging circuit operates when a controller controls the software type condenser charging circuit while monitoring a voltage between opposite ends at an initial charging stage. The hardware type condenser charging circuit is operated when the controller controls the hardware type condenser charging circuit without monitoring the voltage between the opposite ends of the DC-link condenser or by direct switching manipulation of a user.

An apparatus for preventing overcharge of a battery in an eco-vehicle includes: a detector detecting the overcharge of the battery; and a signal processor controlling a high voltage relay according to an output signal output from the detector to block a charge of the battery.

A system for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator is provided. The system of the vehicle includes a global positioning system (GPS) for identifying a vehicle location and a communications system for communicating with a server of a cloud system. The server is configured to identify that the vehicle location is near or at a parking location. The communications system is configured to receive mapping data for the parking location from the server, and the mapping data is at least in part used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical object when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location. The mapping data is processed by electronics of the vehicle so that when the vehicle is automatically moved collision with the at least one physical object is avoided and the electronics of the vehicle is configured to process a combination of sensor data obtained by sensors of the vehicle. The processing of the sensor data uses image data obtained from one or more cameras and light data obtained from one or more optical sensors.

A first electric power generation device configured to produce an accessory voltage according to a first instruction voltage. A second electric power generation device configured to produce the accessory voltage according to a second instruction. An electric control unit is configured to execute crank position stop control for stopping a crank of the engine at a target position when the engine is stopped by controlling the first electric power generation device such that a current is circulated in the first electric power generation device and the rotating electric machine generates braking torque. The electric control unit is configured to execute the crank position stop control in a state in which the second instruction voltage is equal to or higher than the first instruction voltage.

A battery for a vehicle having a fixed battery pack and a replaceable battery pack. The replaceable battery pack has electronic or mechanical locks to semi-temporarily hold the replaceable battery pack in place. The fixed battery pack is held in place via permanent or semi-permanent fasteners such as bolts. A battery controller controls the replaceable battery pack to power motors of the vehicle before controlling the fixed battery pack to power motors of the vehicle.

Provided is a configuration in which, in an in-vehicle DC-DC converter, a limitation value of input power or output power can be determined according to the temperature of a power storage unit. In an in-vehicle DC-DC converter (1), a determination unit uses a scheme for determining whether or not input power of an input-side conductive path has reached an input power limitation value that is determined according to an input voltage of the input-side conductive path and a temperature range to which the temperature of an input-side power storage unit belongs, or a scheme for determining whether or not output power of an output-side conductive path has reached an output power limitation value that is determined according to an output voltage of the output-side conductive path and a temperature range to which the temperature of an output-side power storage unit belongs.

A method for distributing electrical power to electric motors in an electric powertrain, in which the electric motors are electrically connected to a shared power supply, includes receiving input signals via a supervisory controller. The input signals include a total torque request of the electric powertrain and electrical limits of the power supply. The method includes determining an open-loop torque command for each respective motor in response to the input signals. In response to the total torque request and the power supply limits, the controller also determines maximum and minimum power limits of motor, with the maximum and minimum power limits including a calibrated power reserve for executing a predetermined torque operation. The method includes transmitting the open-loop torque command and the power limits to a respective motor control processor of each motor to thereby control the torque operation.

Connection and control concepts for battery packs in a high voltage battery assembly are provided. Parallel, modular configurations permit improved safety, voltage balancing, and redundancy, improving operation and reliability of an associated high voltage electrical vehicle such as a heavy-duty truck.

Systems and methods for storing energy for use by an electric vehicle are disclosed. Systems can include an electric vehicle battery pack including a rack configured to couple a plurality of independently removable battery strings to the vehicle, the battery strings configured to be selectively coupled in parallel to a vehicle power bus. The battery strings may include a housing, a plurality of electrochemical cells disposed within the housing, a circuit for electrically connecting the electrochemical cells, a positive high-voltage connector, a negative high-voltage connector, a switch within the housing, and a string control unit configured to control the switch. Each battery string can include a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet configured to couple with and sealingly uncouple from an external coolant supply conduit and an external coolant return conduit, and an auxiliary connector configured to couple with an external communications system and/or an external low-voltage power supply.