An automotive electronic control unit is configured to: determine the current operation status of an automotive dual battery electrical system defined by the current electric charge statuses of a main electrical energy source and of an auxiliary electrical energy source and by the current electrical energy demand of electrical loads, determine which operation area of an operation plane of the automotive dual battery electrical system the current operation status of the automotive dual battery electrical system belongs to, and control the operation of the automotive dual battery electrical system, and enable or disable the implementation of one or more of the functionalities of automatic start and stop of the internal combustion engine, of regenerative braking and of electric charging depending on the operation area which the current operation status of the automotive dual battery electrical system belongs to.

Systems and methods of selective driver coaching are provided. Driver coaching systems learn the characteristics of a deceleration event. With the goal of increasing recouped energy while operating a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), driver coaching systems predict when the HEV can begin coasting at the start of the deceleration event. In this way, the amount of time during which regenerative braking can be applied may be increased. Coaching cues are provided to the driver so that the HEV can be operated in way that achieves the goal of increasing recouped energy. However, engaging in excessive regenerative breaking can negate its advantages if the amount needed to reaccelerate the HEV to a cruising/steady speed is too great. Selective driver coaching provides coaching cues only if the operating efficiency of the HEV exceeds the operating efficiency of the HEV when controlled by the driver without coaching cues.

This disclosure relates to an electrified vehicle configured to selectively increase an energy recovery threshold and a corresponding method. In particular, an example electrified vehicle includes an energy recovery mechanism configured to apply a negative wheel torque up to a negative wheel torque threshold. The electrified vehicle also includes a controller configured to selectively increase the negative wheel torque threshold based on a mass of the electrified vehicle.

A vehicle power supply apparatus includes a generator, an electrical energy accumulator, a throttle valve, a power generation controller, a throttle plate position upper limit setting unit, and a throttle valve controller. The generator is coupled to an engine of a vehicle. The electrical energy accumulator is able to be coupled to the generator. The throttle valve is provided in an intake system of the engine. The power generation controller allows the generator to perform regenerative power generation on decelerated travel of the vehicle. The throttle plate position upper limit setting unit sets an upper limit of a throttle plate position of the throttle valve on the basis of a state of the electrical energy accumulator. The throttle valve controller controls the throttle plate position within a range downward from the upper limit, during the regenerative power generation by the generator.

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.

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to delaying a start of an internal combustion engine (ICE) in a hybrid vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a stopping location, a regenerative braking event that assists in stopping the hybrid vehicle at the stopping location, and an actual energy value based on a regenerative braking energy generated during the regenerative braking event. The method includes determining an estimated energy value based on a predicted regenerative braking energy from a predicted braking event causing the hybrid vehicle to stop at the stopping location. The method includes determining an energy savings value based, at least in part, on a difference between the actual energy value and the estimated energy value. The method includes, responsive to the ICE being off, delaying the start of the ICE based, at least in part, on the energy savings.

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 truck, a tractor unit, a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, at a tandem, 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 shift by wire-based transmission system and a method for controlling the same, may include a transmission lever, a main controller that determines a target gear stage and a current control delay time of an actuator based on a manipulation signal received from the transmission lever and controls driving of the actuator based on the determined target gear stage and the current control delay time to determine a gear stage position in a response to the driving of the actuator, and a transmission control unit that controls a hydraulic pressure based on the gear stage position determined by the main controller.

A system for coupling a towing vehicle to a towed vehicle and/or for controlling charging/braking by the towed vehicle. The system may include a coupler coupling to the towing vehicle; and first and second tow bars having first and second ends and a rotational joint situated between the first and second ends, the first and second tow bars coupled to the coupler at the first ends and being non-parallel in at least one plane with the second ends located further apart from each other than the first ends. The rotational joint providing for the first and second tow bars to be positioned in an open and a folded position. The second ends of the first and second tow bars are configured to be coupled to the towed vehicle. For charging, a trip distance and charge of a towed vehicle battery is utilized to determine a charging rate for the trip.

A vehicle includes a pair of electric machines each coupled to a laterally-opposing wheel to output a wheel torque. The vehicle also includes a controller programmed to command a combined regenerative braking torque output of the electric machines based on a lesser of a braking torque limit of each individual electric machine. The controller is also programmed to command a regenerative braking torque from each electric machine to be within a predetermined torque threshold of each other in response to a yaw rate exceeding a yaw threshold.