A hybrid system for a heavy duty vehicle having an engine and a pneumatic system. The hybrid system comprises a direct current (dc) network having a peak voltage not exceeding 60 volts, and connected to the dc network electrical components including: a battery, a starter/generator electric machine having a power delivery mode in which an electrical energy input to the starter/generator is converted into a rotational power output and an electricity generation mode in which a rotational power input is converted into an electrical power output, a plurality of electrically powered ancillary devices one of which is an electrically powered compressor of the pneumatic system, a plurality of vehicle parameter sensors, a communications network and a controller, wherein the controller, the vehicle parameter sensors and the electrical components are connected to the communications network; and wherein the controller is configured to control the flow of electricity between the starter/generator, the battery, and the electricity consuming devices according to pre-programmed priorities and wherein the priorities include causing kinetic energy converted into electrical energy by the starter/generator when in its electricity generation mode to be stored by the battery by charging the same or in the pneumatic system by operating an electric motor driven air compressor of the pneumatic system.

An articulated, bus with at least two bodies or carts, adapted for carrying at least fifty or one hundred passengers in the passenger compartment. The articulated bus comprises several wheel housings, each with two longitudinally aligned wheels. Each wheel is disposed in the wheel housing and comprises an in-wheel electric engine in its rim. A cooling circuit is in communication with the in-wheel electric engine and comprises a heat exchanger outside the wheel housing in order to cool the wheels. The cooling circuit also cools the battery pack electrically connected to the electric engine. A cooling process for controlling the temperature in-wheel electric engine, and a use of a heat exchanger for heating a seat or a passenger compartment.

A vehicle seat assembly includes a backrest, a seat including a seat surface, and a partition. The seat is movable between a seat folded position in which the seat surface is disposed along a front surface of the backrest and a seat unfolded position in which the seat surface faces up. The partition to be disposed adjacent to a side surface of the backrest includes a fixing portion and a movable portion. The fixing portion includes a base portion that extends along the side surface and a projecting portion projecting from the base portion farther than the front surface. The movable portion is movable between a folded position adjacent to the base portion and the front surface and an unfolded position away from the base portion and the front surface. The movable portion includes an armrest surface that faces up when the movable portion is in the unfolded position.

A vehicle may include a vehicle detector configured to detect an obstacle and a condition of the inside and the outside of the vehicle; and a controller, when a front obstacle is detected by the vehicle detector, configured to determine a required braking distance or a time to collision (TTC) with respect to the obstacle, configured to determine whether a door side collision with the obstacle is estimated, when a collision with the obstacle is estimated according to the result of the determination, and configured to open a door in emergency or convert the door into a manual opening mode when the door side collision is estimated.

A battery system for an electric vehicle includes a first battery module with a first heater and a second battery module with a second heater. The battery system also includes a control system configured to selectively activate the first or the second heater to dissipate energy from the first or the second battery module.

A vehicle powertrain includes a first electric machine and a second electric machine, a transmission arranged to transmit torque from the electric machines to a pair of driven wheels of a vehicle, where the first electric machine is drivingly connected to a first input shaft of the transmission and a second electric machine is drivingly connected to a second input shaft of the transmission, a first torque path for transmitting torque includes only one gear ratio between the first input shaft and an output shaft of the transmission, and a second torque path for transmitting torque includes two selectable and separately engageable gear ratios between the second input shaft and the output shaft of the transmission, and where the three gear ratios of the first and second torque paths are different from each other.

An electric vehicle may include a powertrain including an axle having a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel, a first motor and a first gearbox operatively coupled to the first drive wheel, and a second motor and a second gearbox operatively coupled to the second drive wheel. The electric vehicle may also include a radiator including coolant, and an oil manifold including first and second oil inlets, first and second oil outlets, first and second coolant inlets, and at least one coolant outlet. The oil manifold may be fluidly connected to the first and second gearboxes, the first and second motors, and to the radiator.

A tire maintenance support system includes a wear progress degree acquisition portion that acquires a wear progress degree of each of a tread and a side portion in each mount position, a wear amount calculation portion that calculates a predicted wear amount, which is a wear amount of each of the tread and the side portion in each mount position until maintenance timing when maintenance of the vehicle is performed, based on the acquired wear progress degree, and a re-tread member selection portion and a re-side member selection portion that select a thickness of a member to be needed when at least one of the tread and the side portion is replaced, based on the calculated predicted wear amount.

A battery system for an electric vehicle includes a first battery module with a first heater and a second battery module with a second heater. The battery system also includes a control system configured to selectively activate the first or the second heater to dissipate energy from the first or the second battery module.

A motor vehicle and construction method for a motor vehicle, such as a bus, wherein fabricated subassemblies or modules are joined using mechanical fasteners to form an integrated, load carrying structure. The fabricated subassemblies are configured to allow substitution of subassemblies with alternative configurations in order to produce a number of unique vehicle configurations each sharing a common architecture. Modular construction techniques allow for simplification of construction processes, reduction of welding processes, and the application of physically smaller subassemblies. Interchange and substitution of subassemblies with shared attributes may also facilitate production of vehicles having different characteristics.