A vehicle includes a clutch to couple a motor and transmission, and a controller that, in response to a regenerative braking request and a temperature being within a first range, partially capacitizes the clutch for regenerative torque transfer therethrough with slip, and in response to another regenerative braking request and the temperature being within a second range less than the first, fully capacitizes the clutch prior to regenerative torque transfer therethough to preclude slip.

A vehicle control device is configured to: execute a fuel cut control for stopping fuel supply to the internal combustion engine in response to a deceleration request to the vehicle; engage the lock-up clutch and open a throttle of the vehicle during the execution of the fuel cut control; close the throttle and execute the motor assist in a case where there is an acceleration request to the vehicle while the lock-up clutch is engaged, the throttle is opened, and the fuel cut control is executed; end the fuel cut control and resume fuel supply to the internal combustion engine when an intake pressure of the internal combustion engine reaches a predetermined startable negative pressure after the throttle is closed; and disengage the lock-up clutch when the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine is resumed.

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

A method for controlling a drive train of a hybrid vehicle which includes an internal combustion engine, an electric machine that is operated as a motor or generator, and a transmission. Energy is recovered in the overrun operation of the vehicle by operating the electric machine in generator mode. The transmission has at least one free-wheel-connected low forward gear that only transmits traction torque, and at least one free-wheel-free high forward gear. When the free-wheel-connected low forward gear is engaged and the vehicle transitions into the overrun operation, or the driver requests a transition into the overrun operation by selecting the free-wheel-connected low forward gear, an overrun torque is set via the free-wheel-free high forward gear by a generator operation of the electric machine for energy recovery. The overrun torque thereby substantially corresponds to an overrun torque of a free-wheel-free configuration of the free-wheel-connected low forward gear.

A vehicle information display may include a split braking gauge for conveying information relating to braking operation and efficiency to assist drivers in maximizing energy capture during braking in vehicle with regenerative braking systems. The split braking gauge may incorporate a side-by-side or stacked configuration for conveying both regenerative braking and friction braking values. The split braking gauge may include fixed thresholds or boundaries associated with dynamic threshold values that can change based on current vehicle operating conditions.

A torque upper limit value changing section increases an upper limit value of a torque instruction value in a powering range in case a rotational speed reduction degree is greater than a reference value and decreases the upper limit value of the torque instruction value in the powering range in case the rotational speed reduction degree is smaller than the reference value.

A method for braking a vehicle driving forward, in which the vehicle has a propulsion system including a combustion engine with an output shaft (2a), a gearbox (3) with an input shaft (3a), an electric machine (9) comprising a stator and a rotor, and a planetary gear comprising three components in the form of a sun gear (10), a ring gear (11) and a planet wheel carrier (12). The vehicle is driven with one of the components connected to an output shaft of the combustion engine rotating with a lower rotational speed than one of the components connected to the electric machine. When the vehicle is braked, the electric machine is controlled to apply a brake torque to the input shaft of the gearbox, making the rotational speed of the combustion engine increase.

A control device for a regenerative braking system having control electronics, the control electronics being designed, in consideration of at least one provided first variable with respect to a utilized coefficient of friction occurring in each case at the at least one wheel which may be regeneratively braked, to determine at least one preset variable with respect to at least one hydraulic minimum braking torque to be exerted on the at least one wheel which may be regeneratively braked, and, in consideration of at least the at least one determined preset variable, to determine the at least one setpoint variable.

The invention relates to a method (100) for converting and/or storing electric energy E obtained from mechanical energy M in a vehicle comprising a motor (1), in particular a motor vehicle. In the method, a) mechanical energy M obtained when braking and/or during an overrun operation of the vehicle is converted into electric energy E in a first step using a generator (2), b) the electric energy is stored in an intermediate energy store (3) in a second step, c) the stored electric energy E is discharged to an electrolysis module (4) in a third step, d) the module converts the electric energy E into chemical energy C in a fourth step at least by splitting water (H.sub.2O) into hydrogen (H.sub.2) and oxygen (O2), and e) the chemical energy is conducted into a gas tank (5) of the vehicle for temporary storage and/or is supplied to the motor (1) and/or a fuel cell (10) of the vehicle in a fifth step.

A vehicle control apparatus is mounted on a vehicle including an emergency stop function to detect an abnormal state of a driver and automatically stop the vehicle. The vehicle control apparatus provides control at a time of stopping the vehicle and includes process execution sections and a process stop section. The process execution sections perform predetermined emergency processes in response to the emergency stop function stopping the vehicle; the emergency processes control instruments mounted on the vehicle and use a battery of the vehicle as a driving power source. The process stop section stepwise stops at least part of the emergency processes performed by the process execution sections based on a predetermined stop sequence.