Methods and systems are provided for improving engine restart operations in a hybrid vehicle. While an engine is cranked via motor torque, engine fueling is delayed until the engine speed is sufficiently high and the engine has been rotating in a forward direction continuously for a threshold duration. A disconnect clutch between the engine and motor is slipped while the engine cranks, the clutch engaged only after the engine has run up to the motor speed.

A controls system for a range-extended electric vehicle comprising an overall system control unit, an engine control module configured to control a range extender of the range-extended electric vehicle, power electronics configured to control a generator of the range-extended electric vehicle, and a supervisory control module coupled between the overall system control unit and the engine control module and the power electronics, the supervisory control module configured to receive information from the overall system control unit and provide commands to the engine control module and the power electronics.

Various applications for use of mass estimations of a vehicle, including to control operation of the vehicle, sharing the mass estimation with other vehicles and/or a Network Operations Center (NOC), organizing vehicles operating in a platoon and/or partially controlling the operation of one or more vehicles operating in a platoon based on the relative mass estimations between the platooning vehicles. When vehicles are operating in a platoon, the relative mass between a lead and a following vehicle may be used to scale torque and/or brake commands generated by the lead vehicle and sent to the following vehicle.

A control device and method are provided for launch assistance for a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine as drive engine. The control device is designed to predict a stall of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle on the basis of at least one signal, and, if a stall of the internal combustion engine is predicted, to output a signal for initiating launch assistance. The control device is designed to predict the stall of the internal combustion engine on the basis of the engine rotational speed of the internal combustion engine and the gradient of the engine rotational speed of the internal combustion engine before the clutch-engagement rotational speed is reached. If a stall of the internal combustion engine is predicted, the control device is designed to output a signal for initiating an increase of the engine torque demand of the internal combustion engine.

A vehicle includes an engine. The vehicle includes a controller configured to start a timer having a duration defined by a charge limit of a traction battery and during which the engine braking is maintained and reduce a predetermined rate of change speed limit of the engine is reduced. The starting of the timer is responsive to application of an accelerator pedal during engine braking. The controller is further configured to increase the predetermined rate of change speed limit such that engine braking is predicted based on the limit of the battery, responsive to application of an accelerator pedal during engine braking.

A vehicle includes an engine. The vehicle includes a controller configured to start a timer having a duration defined by a charge limit of a traction battery and during which the engine braking is maintained and reduce a predetermined rate of change speed limit of the engine is reduced. The starting of the timer is responsive to application of an accelerator pedal during engine braking. The controller is further configured to increase the predetermined rate of change speed limit such that engine braking is predicted based on the limit of the battery, responsive to application of an accelerator pedal during engine braking.

A driving device for a hybrid vehicle includes a transmission unit configured to output a rotation of an engine while changing rotating speed of the engine; and a first rotating electric machine. The first rotating electric machine is configured to supply a torque for increasing the rotating speed of the engine at the time of starting up of the engine to the engine through the transmission unit. At the time of starting up of the engine, the gear shift stage of the transmission unit is switched to an overdrive state. Thus, a torque sufficient for starting up of the engine can be supplied to the engine, and hence the engine can be appropriately started up.

A shift control method for the vehicle with a DCT may include a start determining step of determining, by a TCU, whether the DCT may have entered a power-on down shift inertia phase, a clutch control step of controlling a release-side clutch by determining, by the TCU, a release-side clutch control torque, when the DCT enters the power-on down shift inertia phase, a limit determining step of determining whether the release-side clutch control torque is reduced below a predetermined minimum control torque, while the TCU performs the clutch control step, and an engine-assistance requesting step of requesting an ECU to set an engine-torque rise request amount in proportion to a release-side clutch control torque reduction amount that is additionally required by the TCU, when it is determined in the limit determining step that the release-side clutch control torque is reduced below the minimum control torque.

A method controls the startup of a heat engine of a hybrid power train of a vehicle. The power train includes the heat engine and an electric drive machine, two concentric main shafts coupled one to the heat engine and one to the electric machine, at least one step-down gear of each of the main shafts on a secondary shaft connected to wheels of the vehicle, and a coupling of the two main shafts. The method includes coupling the two main shafts, inhibiting fuel injection of the heat engine, launching the heat engine by the electric machine, synchronizing a speed of the heat engine and a speed of the electric machine without fuel injection, activating the fuel injection and turning off the electric machine and decoupling the two main shafts.

Various applications for use of mass estimations of a vehicle, including to control operation of the vehicle, sharing the mass estimation with other vehicles and/or a Network Operations Center (NOC), organizing vehicles operating in a platoon and/or partially controlling the operation of one or more vehicles operating in a platoon based on the relative mass estimations between the platooning vehicles. When vehicles are operating in a platoon, the relative mass between a lead and a following vehicle may be used to scale torque and/or brake commands generated by the lead vehicle and sent to the following vehicle.