A vehicle control apparatus, configured to control a vehicle, includes an engine that is configured to drive wheels via a power transmission device. The vehicle control apparatus includes a towing state detector and an engine controller. The towing state detector is configured to detect whether the vehicle is in a towing state. The engine controller is configured to stop the engine in a case where a predetermined engine stopping condition is satisfied during traveling of the vehicle. The engine controller is configured to vary, in a case where the towing state detector detects that the vehicle is in the towing state, the predetermined engine stopping condition to reduce an operational range in which the engine is to be stopped compared with an operational range in a case where the towing state detector does not detect that the vehicle is in the towing state.

Provided is a driving assistance device that makes it possible to smoothly accelerate from a stop or from a speed close to a stop. A target acceleration/deceleration output unit of the driving assistance device has: a first map that stores first target accelerations which are associated with inter-vehicle distance and with relative speed; a second map that stores second target accelerations which are associated with inter-vehicle distance and with relative speed and which are greater than the first target accelerations with respect to inter-vehicle distance and relative speed; and a selection unit that selects, according to a vehicle speed, whether to use the output of the first map and/or whether to use the output of the second map.

The driving force ECU calculates a restricted driving force for a driving force restricting control, by using a Proportional-Integral-Differential control formula which utilizes a difference between a target acceleration varied depending on a vehicle speed and an actual acceleration of the vehicle. The driving force ECU adjusts (changes) a proportion gain K1 of the Proportional-Integral-Differential control formula based on an inclination angle θ of a road in such a manner that a value of the proportion gain K1 used when the inclination inclination angle θ is relatively large is smaller than a value of the proportion gain K1 used when the inclination inclination angle θ is relatively small. The driving force ECU performs a driving force restricting control by selecting, as a target driving force used for the driving force restricting control, a pedal required driving force or the restricted driving force, whichever is smaller.

A parking assistance device includes: an order table configured to record an order of setting the guide routes for autonomous vehicles; a guide calculation unit that calculates the guide routes; a re-calculation unit that re-calculates, in accordance with the order, the guide routes for vehicles among the autonomous vehicles for which the guide routes not overlapping with each other cannot be calculated; a guide setting unit configured to: set the guide routes for vehicles among the autonomous vehicles for which the guide routes not overlapping with each other can be calculated; and not set the guide routes for the vehicles for which the guide routes not overlapping with each other cannot be calculated; a route transmission unit that transmits the set guide routes to the autonomous vehicles; and an order change unit that changes the order.

A controller is provided for a vehicle having front and rear axles, each axle having two wheels, and first and second propulsion units. The controller controls the first and second propulsion units to generate a combined torque with reference to a total requested torque. The controller is configured to: receive a torque request signal; receive traction signals indicating available traction at at least one wheel; determine a traction torque range defined by a maximum and minimum torque for at least one of the at least first or second propulsion units in dependence on one or more of the traction signals; determine a proposed distribution of torque between each of the at least first and second propulsion units with reference to the total requested torque; and determine a proposed torque to be generated by each of the at least first and second propulsion units based on the proposed distribution of torque.

A method for controlling wheel slip of a vehicle includes obtaining operation state information of a driving system, determining the speed of a backlash component between a drive apparatus and a drive wheel of the vehicle based on the obtained operation state information of the driving system, determining a reference speed for controlling wheel slip, determining a control input value for controlling the wheel slip based on a driving system speed, the speed of the backlash component, and the reference speed, using the control input value to determine whether wheel slip occurs, determining a torque correction amount based on the control input value when it is determined that wheel slip has occurred, and correcting a torque command of the drive apparatus according to the torque correction amount.

A method for outputting recommendations for energy efficient operation of a vehicle having at least two modes of operation, from which an operating mode is respectively selected by a drive controller, depending on the occurrence of specified triggers, for operating the vehicle. A change of operating mode caused by the trigger is determined. A frequency of the change of operating mode is incremented at every determination of the change of operating mode caused by the trigger. The frequency is analyzed by comparing the frequency of the change of operating mode a predetermined value. A message is generated on a case-by-case basis. The message is output via at least one output comprised by the vehicle.

The present application relates to the technical field of vehicle controlling technology, and provides a method and a device for gradient calculating. The method for gradient calculating includes: acquiring current operating parameters of the vehicle, wherein the current operating parameters include a current longitudinal acceleration, a current lateral acceleration, a current vehicle acceleration, and a current vehicle speed; determining a first influence value of the current lateral acceleration on the current longitudinal acceleration according to the current lateral acceleration and the current vehicle speed; determining a second influence value of the current vehicle acceleration on the current longitudinal acceleration according to the current vehicle acceleration and the current vehicle speed; correcting the current longitudinal acceleration according to the first influence value and the second influence value; and determining the gradient value based on the corrected current longitudinal acceleration.

Methods and systems for operating an electric vehicle in neutral are provided herein. The vehicle system, in one example, includes an electric machine rotationally coupled to a driveline and an input device with a neutral position. The system further includes a control unit with instructions that when executed, in response to movement of the input device into the neutral position, cause the control unit to operate the electric machine to apply a regenerative torque to a driveline and generate electrical energy.

A controller for a vehicle includes a controlling unit. In a case in which the target engine torque is less than or equal to a threshold, the controlling unit controls the engine such that the torque of the engine becomes equal to the target engine torque, and controls a motor-generator such that the torque of the motor-generator becomes equal to the target motor torque. Also, in a case in which the target engine torque is greater than the threshold, the controlling unit controls the engine such that the torque of the engine becomes less than or equal to the threshold, and controls the motor-generator such that the torque of the motor-generator increases.