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.

Provided is a vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a generator a traction battery, a relay, an electric motor, an auxiliary battery, an electric heater, and a controller. The controller is configured to place the relay in a cut-off state when, at the time of the internal combustion engine being started, temperature of the traction battery is lower than a first predetermined temperature, and charging the auxiliary battery with electric power generated by the generator, and supply the electric power generated by the generator to the electric heater to raise the temperature of the traction battery, until the temperature of the traction battery exceeds a second predetermined temperature that is higher than the first predetermined temperature.

An electric power supply control apparatus for a vehicle decreases a first electric power prior to switching the modes, when a sum of a request value of a second electric power and the first electric power exceeds a total electric power upper limit value in the mode before the switching, and switches the modes after the sum of the decreased first electric power and the request value of the second electric power becomes equal to or smaller than the total electric power upper limit value.

Controlled clutchless shifting of multi-ratio geared electronic shift transmissions coupled directly to the electrical prime mover of a vehicle are disclosed. The adaptive control of electrically shifted manual transmissions incorporated into power-split series electric hybrid heavy vehicles operating over heavy duty drive cycles utilizes a direct coupling assembly that enables bi-directional energy transfer and power transport. An electronic shift transmission provides power amplifying or de-amplifying bi-directional intelligently controlled valve or pathway for available terrain potential or kinetic energy of a rolling mass of a vehicle, while retaining the original function of a transmission by increasing or decreasing mechanical rotating energy of the propulsion power to the rear wheels of a vehicle.

The invention relates to a method (100) for lowering the temperature of at least one component (410 . . . 470) in a vehicle (400), comprising the steps of: determining (110) future route-dependent data; lowering (130) the temperature of at least one component (410 . . . 470) as a function of the determined data.

A vehicle includes an electric machine, a battery, a cooler, and a controller. The electric machine is configured to propel the vehicle. The battery is configured to power the electric machine. The cooler is configured to cool the battery. The controller is programmed to, responsive to the vehicle traveling from first to second locations on a predetermined route, operate the electric machine such that battery charge is depleted from an initial charge at the first location to a minimum battery charge limit upon arrival at the second location. The controller is also programmed to, responsive to the vehicle traveling from first to second locations on a predetermined route, operate the cooler such that battery temperature increases from an initial temperature at the first location to a battery shutdown temperature limit at the second location.

Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and computer-readable media for controlling operation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) based on changing weather conditions. A weather state that is changing in an environment during operation of an AV can be identified based on data gathered by the AV operating in the environment. An extent that the weather state has changed in the environment can be determined from the data gathered by the AV. Operation of the AV can be controlled based on both characteristics of the weather state that is changing and the extent that the weather state has changed.

One or more vehicle systems and methods of operating a vehicle using wireless communications are disclosed. One method includes establishing a temperature threshold for a cold-start of the vehicle; receiving a remote vehicle start request via a wireless signal, wherein the remote vehicle start request is a request to start a motor of the vehicle; when the remote vehicle start request is received, indicating that the motor of the vehicle has failed to start; communicating with a self-heating battery on-board the vehicle the indication that the motor of the vehicle has failed to start; obtaining a temperature of a working battery on-board the vehicle or a temperature around the vehicle; when the temperature obtained of the working battery or around the vehicle is less than or equal to the temperature threshold for the cold-start of the vehicle, operating the self-heating battery to heat the working battery; and sending another vehicle start request wherein the another vehicle start request starts the motor of the vehicle.

A device for model predictive control of a vehicle component includes a first input receiving sensor data, a second input receiving data regarding a topology in a vehicle's environment, a control unit for executing a predictive algorithm for generating a control value for the component, an output for outputting the control value, wherein the predictive algorithm comprises a vehicle model including a battery model, wherein the sensor and topology data are processed in the predictive algorithm, the predictive algorithm also including an optimization function including energy consumption predicted by the battery model, travel time predicted by the vehicle model, information regarding a charging station along a route of the vehicle predicted by the vehicle model in a prediction horizon, and information regarding the predicted charging state of the battery at the charging station, and the predictive algorithm generates the control value through minimization in the optimization function.