A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). Locations of collection, charging and distribution machines having available charged portable electrical energy storage devices are communicated to or acquired by a mobile device of a user, or displayed on a collection, charging and distribution machine. The locations are indicated on a graphical user interface on a map on a user's mobile device relative to the user's current location. The user may use their mobile device select particular locations on the map to reserve an available portable electrical energy storage device. The system nay also warn the user that the user is near an edge of the pre-determined area having portable electrical energy storage device collection, charging and distribution machines. Reservations may also be made automatically based on information regarding a potential route of a user.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a control system 208 and method for controlling energy management of a traction battery 200 of a hybrid electric vehicle 10, the traction battery 200 configured to power at least one traction motor 212 coupled to an electric-only axle 213 of the vehicle 10 to provide all-wheel drive, the control system 208 comprising one or more electronic controllers 300, the one or more electronic controllers 300 configured to: determine a change of terrain mode and/or type for the vehicle and/or determine an increase in loading of the vehicle 10; select an energy management control strategy for the traction battery 200 of the vehicle 10 in dependence on the determined change in terrain mode and/or type and/or the determined increase in loading of the vehicle 10, wherein the traction battery 200 is configured to supply power to the at least one traction motor 212 to provide torque to the electric-only axle 213 of the vehicle 10 to enable the vehicle 10 to operate in an all-wheel drive mode, wherein selecting an energy management control strategy of the vehicle 10 comprises at least one of: selecting or adjusting a charge sustain set point 30 for the traction battery 200; and changing energy generation to recharge the traction battery 200.

A vehicle includes an engine, and a transmission including a torque converter having an impeller. The vehicle further includes an electric machine configured to provide drive torque to the impeller. The impeller is selectively coupled to the engine via a clutch. At least one vehicle controller is configured to, in response to the engine being OFF, the transmission being in DRIVE, a vehicle speed being zero and a brake pedal being released beyond a threshold position, command the electric machine to provide a torque to the impeller. The torque is a predetermined feedforward torque adjusted by a feedback torque that is based on a difference between measured and calculated speeds. The speeds may be the speeds of the electric machine.

A service vehicle can have a service vehicle battery that can provide energy to, and/or receive energy from, a separate machine that is normally configured to operate based on energy provided by a battery of the machine. If a machine becomes unable to operate using the battery of the machine, the service vehicle can travel to the machine and use an energy transfer arm to transfer energy to the machine. In some situations, the service vehicle and the machine can travel together in a convoy formation, for instance to a maintenance station, while the service vehicle provides the machine with energy for driving operations of the machine.

A system for employing gravity to provide electrical power for mining operations in a mine includes a battery configured to power an electric vehicle. The vehicle includes a kinetic energy capture system that can charge the battery as the vehicle conveys a loaded vehicle down a ramp from an ore face to a chamber. Traveling down the ramp produces a surplus charge in the battery due to a weight differential between a loaded vehicle traveling down a ramp producing more energy via the kinetic energy capture system than energy used by the vehicle to convey the empty vehicle up the ramp to the ore face. A discharging device disposed in the chamber is configured to discharge the surplus energy out of the battery and into the mine's power grid. One or multiple trips between the ore face and the chamber may fully charge the battery.

An electrified vehicle and associated method for controlling an electrified vehicle having an electric machine powered by a traction battery include an autoencoder trained with training data indicative of a remaining driving range of the traction battery. The trained autoencoder processes vehicle operating data to generate a reference data record and determines a value indicative of a similarity between the vehicle operating data and the reference data record. The autoencoder generates an output data record if the value indicative of the similarity is below a predetermined threshold value. The output data record may be used to display an alert or message to a vehicle occupant and/or control the vehicle to reduce power consumption to increase vehicle driving range.

Techniques for estimating a vehicle state of charge (“SoC”) are disclosed. A computing device may determine a first instance of connectivity between the computing device and an electric vehicle and determine a first location of the computing device associated with the first instance of connectivity. The computing device may detect completion of a first trip of the electric vehicle, wherein the first trip reflects movement of the electric vehicle from the first location to a second location, and determine a first distance traveled by the electric vehicle during the first trip based on the first location and the second location. The computing device may select the electric vehicle for charging using the determined first instance of connectivity between the computing device and the electric vehicle, estimate a SoC of the selected electric vehicle using the determined first distance, and transmit the estimated SoC to a charging station.

A method of controlling an electric oil pump configured for a vehicle, may include a step of determining whether a vehicle has entered a sloped road, a step of determining whether a drive motor of the vehicle is in one or more overheatable conditions when it is determined that the vehicle has entered a sloped road, a step of determining whether the overheatable condition is maintained over a preset reference time when it is determined that the vehicle is in the over-heatable condition; and a step of supplying a pulse to an RPM input for the electric oil pump when it is determined that the duration of the over-heatable condition exceeds the preset reference time.

A system for controlling a hybrid propulsion system includes a computer programmed to obtain altitude and terrain information associated with a predetermined route for the hybrid propulsion system comprising a first energy source and a second energy source. The computer is also programmed to obtain current and forecast ambient weather information associated with the predetermined route of the hybrid propulsion system, determine a power requirement and a torque requirement of the hybrid propulsion system associated with the altitude and the terrain along the predetermined route of the hybrid propulsion system, generate a trip plan to optimize at least one of a plurality of performance parameters of the hybrid propulsion system as the hybrid propulsion system travels along the predetermined route, and preferentially select the first energy source and/or the second energy source based on the trip plan.

The invention relates to a control system for controlling a torque generator of a vehicle. The control system is configured to receive one or more electrical signals indicative of a surface indicator; receive one or more electrical signals indicative of a deceleration demand; select a surface type from a plurality of predetermined surface types based on said one or more electrical signals indicative of a surface indicator; determine a target vehicle deceleration in dependence on the selected surface type; determine, based on said one or more electrical signals indicative of a deceleration demand, a requirement to decelerate the vehicle; and in dependence on determining said requirement, output a control signal to the torque generator. The control signal is configured to cause the torque generator to provide the target vehicle deceleration.