A vehicle speed control system includes a vehicle accelerator mechanism manually moveable between a plurality of positions, a detection arrangement configured to detect the position of the vehicle accelerator mechanism and to generate an output signal indicative of the position of the vehicle accelerator mechanism, a vehicle speed controller configured to establish a speed of the vehicle as a function of the detected position of the manually controllable vehicle accelerator mechanism, and to use the output signal as an input speed control signal. Moreover, the vehicle speed controller is further configured to be operably activated by a user and to operate any one of a clutch unit, propulsion unit and service brake, wherein, when the vehicle speed controller is operably activated by the user to use the output signal as an input speed control signal, the vehicle speed controller is further configured to be operated by the user to control the speed of the vehicle by an operation of any one of the clutch unit, the propulsion unit and the service brake, allowing the user to manually control the speed of the vehicle as a function of the position of the vehicle accelerator mechanism. A method of controlling speed of a vehicle by a vehicle speed control system is also provided.

A driving assist ECU calculates a speed deviation V which is a magnitude of a deviation between a target speed Vset and a speed limit Vlim in a situation in which the target speed Vset and the speed limit Vlim are different from each other. When the speed deviation V is equal to or smaller than a threshold A, the driving assist ECU sets an accept prohibition flag to 1. When the speed deviation V is higher than the threshold A, the driving assist ECU sets the accept prohibition flag to 0. When the accept prohibition flag is 1, the driving assist ECU regards/treats a long-push operation of an operating unit not as an accept operation, but as an acceleration operation or a coast operation.

After a push operation of an operating unit is started (at time t1), when a speed limit acquired by a speed limit acquisition ECU is switched from a first speed limit (for example, 100 km/h) to a second speed limit (for example, 120 km/h) at time t2 in a period in which a duration time of the push operation has not yet reached a long-push completion time, a driving support ECU sets a target speed Vset to the second speed limit at a time point at which the duration time of the push operation has reached the long-push completion time thereafter (at time t3).

A vehicle comprises: a control device mounted to a vehicle body; an additional device removably mountable to the vehicle body; and an existing device mounted to the vehicle body and electrically connected to the control device, the existing device being different from the additional device, wherein the control device includes: an additional control section which performs a control to realize an additional function obtained by use of the additional device, when the control device determines that the additional device is connected to the control device; and a change control section which performs a control in such a manner that an existing function obtained by use of the existing device is changeable from the existing function in a state in which the additional device is not connected to the control device, when the control device determines that the additional device is connected to the control device.

A passenger actionable emergency vehicle management system for altering the behavior of the vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle management system comprises a vehicle overriding mechanism operatively connected to the vehicle and capable of overriding driver controlled vehicle systems, a control circuit operatively connected to the vehicle overriding mechanism and an actuator, operatively connected to the control circuit and located in the vehicle within reach of a vehicle passenger seat.

An immobilizer system for a motor vehicle having an starter mechanism and a substance detector for detecting impairing drugs/substances in a driver's bode, the allowing the vehicle to be started/operated only when the substance detector delivers a result which is below a limit value. An electronic controller of the immobilizer system is programmed by the driver to pre-specify which restrictions the starter mechanism is subject to if the substance detector delivers a positive test result (above a limit level). The immobilizer may be programmed to either a) prevent operation of the vehicle, or b) allow operation but present a notification to the driver. The driver may set a future time interval during which a selection of option a) cannot be changed by the driver.

A passenger actionable emergency vehicle management system for altering the behavior of the vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle management system comprises a vehicle overriding mechanism operatively connected to the vehicle and capable of overriding driver controlled vehicle systems, a control circuit operatively connected to the vehicle overriding mechanism and an actuator, operatively connected to the control circuit and located in the vehicle within reach of a vehicle passenger seat.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a motor vehicle control system for selecting a driving surface and for controlling a plurality of vehicle subsystems to operate in a plurality of subsystem configuration modes in dependence on the selected driving surface, the system being operable in a manual operating mode in which a user is able to select said driving surface and an automatic operating mode in which the system is operable to select said driving surface automatically; wherein the system is able to be switched between said manual and automatic operating modes by means of a user-operable input device; and wherein when operating in the automatic operating mode and a change from the automatic operating mode to the manual operating mode is made via the user-operable input device, the system is configured to select a default subsystem configuration mode.

Example intelligent vehicle control methods and apparatus are described. In one example method, an intelligent vehicle control system obtains a driving mode, a driving style model, and a target speed of an intelligent vehicle at a current moment, then determines a speed control instruction based on the driving mode and the driving style model. The intelligent vehicle control system sends the speed control instruction to an execution system of the intelligent vehicle.

Example intelligent vehicle control methods and apparatus are described. In one example method, an intelligent vehicle control system obtains a driving mode, a driving style model, and a target speed of an intelligent vehicle at a current moment, then determines a speed control instruction based on the driving mode and the driving style model. The intelligent vehicle control system sends the speed control instruction to an execution system of the intelligent vehicle.