A vehicle includes an electric power storage device, an electric motor, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to control charging and discharging of the electric power storage device such that a state of charge becomes a target state of charge, to determine whether or not a degree of deterioration of the electric power storage device due to unevenness in salt concentration is equal to or larger than a predetermined degree, when the degree of deterioration is equal to or larger than the predetermined degree and the state of charge is equal to or less than a predetermined requested state of charge, to set the target state of charge such that the target state of charge increases monotonically, and to set an increase amount or an increase rate of the monotonic increase to be larger as the degree of deterioration is larger.

A method for determining the charge in a battery which comprises providing a main battery and a auxiliary battery. The method then comprises connecting the main battery to an electrical load; measuring I.sub.1, the current drawn from the main battery while it is connected to the electrical load; connecting the auxiliary battery in parallel with the main battery and the electrical load; measuring I.sub.2, the current drawn from the main battery while it is connected to the electrical load and the auxiliary battery; and estimating the state of charge in the auxiliary battery based upon at least the difference between I.sub.1 and I.sub.2.

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.

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.

The present invention provides a novel system and method for a power management strategy for series hybrid power systems, such as for vehicles, with limited electrical energy storage capacity that distributes instantaneous power between a source of chemical energy and a small energy storage system (ESS) efficiently. The invention provides for minimizing the energy storage system while simultaneously allowing the chemical to electrical energy converter, e.g., an internal combustion motor/engine paired with an electrical generator and/or a fuel cell power source, to operate in pre-defined efficient regions of the power user's, or vehicle's, fuel efficiency map.

A hybrid or electric vehicle includes a traction battery to store and provide energy for the vehicle. The traction battery includes a number of battery cells. For effective operation of the traction battery, operating parameters, such as state of charge and battery power limits, may need to be known. The operating parameters may be a function of battery cell voltage and impedance parameters. A parameter estimation scheme may use measured cell voltages and a measured traction battery current as inputs. A current measurement bias may be modeled that incorporates measurement bias caused by asynchronous current and voltage measurements. The current measurement bias may be estimated for each cell and the value may differ between cells.

Systems, methods and apparatus for controlling operation a hybrid powertrain are disclosed that use low power storage and motor/generator components in line haul operations. In one embodiment, a line haul drive cycle includes a low power motor/generator executing a power assistance operation of the hybrid powertrain powered by electricity from a low power storage responsive to a monitoring by a line haul controller of ascensions of the hybrid vehicle at or near a constant speed over an uneven terrain. The line haul drive cycle further includes the low power motor/generator executing a regenerative braking operation of the hybrid powertrain supplying captured electric energy to the low power storage responsive to a monitoring by the line haul controller of descensions of the hybrid vehicle at or near the constant speed over the uneven terrain.

A method for enforced discharge of a hybrid vehicle is aimed at discharging a voltage formed in a high-voltage system of a hybrid vehicle to safely remove risk factors due to high voltage when enforced discharge is requested. The method includes determining whether enforced discharge is requested, speed-controlling a motor connected to an engine so as to transmit power to the engine to reduce speed of the motor to zero revolutions per minute, stopping the engine connected to the speed-controlled motor when the enforced discharge is requested, and performing enforced discharge control for enforced-discharging a voltage of a high-voltage system when the engine is stopped.

A drive system for a vehicle comprises two electrical machines arranged between a combustion engine and an input shaft to a gearbox. The first machine's rotor and the input shaft of the gearbox are each connected to a separate component of a planetary gear. The second electrical machine's rotor is connected with the output shaft of the combustion engine, which is connected with another component of the planetary gear. A first locking means may be moved between a locked position, in which the planetary gear's three components rotate at the same rotational speed, and a release position, allowing for different rotational speeds. A second locking means is moveable between a locked position, in which the output shaft of the combustion engine is locked together with the second machine's rotor and a release position, in which the combustion engine's output shaft is disconnected from the second machine's rotor.

A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a traction motor, a battery, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, responsive to the engine achieving maximum torque capacity while the engine and motor operate to completely satisfy a demand that exceeds the maximum torque capacity, maintain the engine at the maximum torque capacity and reduce torque output of the motor to a non-zero value such that the engine and motor do not operate to completely satisfy the demand.