A drive system of a plug-in hybrid vehicle includes: an internal combustion engine; an electrical machine; an electrochemical storage device, which is configured to supply the electrical machine with electrical energy; and a conditioning system. The conditioning system is configured to precondition the electrochemical storage device and has an electric heating element. the conditioning system is configured, before the start of a journey, to activate a preconditioning function of the internal combustion engine and to preheat a coolant of the internal combustion engine by time-controlled activation of the electric heating element.

A method, computer program product, and computing system for monitoring an interior environment of a motor vehicle; determining a personal state of an occupant within the interior environment of the motor vehicle; and interacting with the occupant based, at least in part, upon the personal state of the occupant.

Vehicles may be composed of a relatively few number of “modules” that are assembled together during a final assembly process. An example vehicle may include a body module, a first drive module coupled to a first end of the body module, and a second drive module coupled to a second end of the body module. One or both of the drive modules may include a pair of wheels, a battery, an electric drive motor, and/or a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. One or both of the drive modules may also include a crash structure to absorb impacts. If a component of a drive module fails or is damaged, the drive module can be quickly and easily replaced with a new drive module, minimizing vehicle down time.

A travel control device is mounted on a vehicle including an electric motor and an internal combustion engine that are power sources and a storage battery that stores energy for driving the electric motor and regenerative energy recovered by regenerative braking of the electric motor. The travel control device includes an electronic control device configured to create a speed profile in which a speed of the vehicle is predicted, estimate a predicted amount of the regenerative energy to be recovered, based on the speed profile, and decide the power source to be used for traveling, based on the predicted amount of the regenerative energy and thermal information indicating a demand related to heat of the vehicle.

Vehicles may be composed of a relatively few number of “modules” that are assembled together during a final assembly process. An example vehicle may include a body module, a first drive module coupled to a first end of the body module, and a second drive module coupled to a second end of the body module. One or both of the drive modules may include a pair of wheels, a battery, an electric drive motor, and/or a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. One or both of the drive modules may also include a crash structure to absorb impacts. If a component of a drive module fails or is damaged, the drive module can be quickly and easily replaced with a new drive module, minimizing vehicle down time.

An electric-axle device for a commercial vehicle that can minimize the frequency of using a main brake when braking, may include a first clutch device disposed between a motor and a differential casing to transmit or block power, a second clutch device disposed between the differential casing and a disc, an electromagnetic brake applying a braking force to the disc, and that can increase a coasting distance and improve energy efficiency and durability of the motor by disengaging the first clutch device and the second clutch device such that kinetic energy, which is transmitted to the motor from an axle shaft, is blocked as if a neutral gear of a transmission is engaged, when the vehicle coasts.

An electrified vehicle includes a traction battery and a battery thermal control system. A controller is configured to receive an initial regenerative braking capability and operation the battery thermal control system to precondition the traction battery during a charge event to a temperature that corresponds to the initial regenerative braking capability such that, during a subsequent drive cycle, the regenerative braking capability is at least equal to the initial regenerative braking capability for at least a predetermined duration into the subsequent drive cycle.

A temperature control apparatus of a vehicle according to the invention stops activating a heat pump and supplies heat exchanging liquid from an engine passage to a battery passage when a warming of the battery is requested and a temperature of the heat exchanging liquid flowing out of the engine passage is equal to or lower than a permitted upper limit temperature. On the other hand, the apparatus activates the heat pump to cool the heat exchanging liquid and supplies the cooled heat exchanging liquid from the engine passage to the battery passage when the warming of the battery is requested and the temperature of the heat exchanging liquid flowing out of the engine passage is higher than the permitted upper limit temperature.

Vehicles may be composed of a relatively few number of “modules” that are assembled together during a final assembly process. An example vehicle may include a body module, a first drive module coupled to a first end of the body module, and a second drive module coupled to a second end of the body module. One or both of the drive modules may include a pair of wheels, a battery, an electric drive motor, and/or a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. One or both of the drive modules may also include a crash structure to absorb impacts. If a component of a drive module fails or is damaged, the drive module can be quickly and easily replaced with a new drive module, minimizing vehicle down time.

A travel control device is mounted on a vehicle including an electric motor and an internal combustion engine that are power sources and a storage battery that stores energy for driving the electric motor and regenerative energy recovered by regenerative braking of the electric motor. The travel control device includes an electronic control device configured to create a speed profile in which a speed of the vehicle is predicted, estimate a predicted amount of the regenerative energy to be recovered, based on the speed profile, and decide the power source to be used for traveling, based on the predicted amount of the regenerative energy and thermal information indicating a demand related to heat of the vehicle.