Informed towing is provided. Towing information is identified, by a towing vehicle, with respect to a towed vehicle to be towed by the towing vehicle. A towed configuration of the towed vehicle is monitored. Responsive to the towed configuration of the towed vehicle being incorrect according to the towing information, a warning is displayed in the HMI indicating the incorrect towing configuration.

This application provide a refrigerant thermal management module and a thermal management system. Components in the refrigerant thermal management module are centrally arranged, so that a pipeline connected between the components is shortened and a refrigerant flow resistance is reduced, improving working performance of a refrigerant loop. In addition, a platform-based design is implemented through modular design. In addition, a plate heat exchanger in the refrigerant loop is used to absorb heat from a coolant loop in a vehicle function module, to implement a function of cooling the vehicle function module; and a condenser in the refrigerant loop is used to release heat to the coolant loop of the vehicle function module, to implement a function of heating the vehicle function module. Regardless of whether the vehicle function module needs to be heated or cooled, refrigerant flows in the refrigerant thermal management module keep a same direction of circulation.

A system and method for managing vehicle charging stations such that when at least two of a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations (also known as electric vehicle service equipment, or EVSE) occupied with vehicles awaiting a charge, the present system manages the charging of individual vehicles in cases where the aggregated demand for charging exceeds the capacity of the circuits supplying the plurality of EVSE. By cycling so that only a few of the vehicles are charging at a time, the demand on the circuits is kept below a predetermined limit. In cases where a load shedding event is in progress, the limit can be further reduced. In cases where the cost of electricity is varying dynamically, the system considers a driver's explicit charging requirements (if any) and preferences for opportunistic charging when the price of electricity is not too high.

A heat exchange module having a first heat exchanger, configured to enable heat exchange between a first fluid and a flow of air and extending inside a first plane of overall extension, and a second heat exchanger, configured to enable heat exchange between a second fluid and the flow of air and extending inside a second plane of overall extension, is disclosed. A housing delimiting, with the first heat exchanger, a circulation channel for the flow of air is included. The module has at least one air distribution member, movable between a position in which the air distribution member allows the flow of air to pass through the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and a position in which the air distribution member prevents the flow of air from passing through the first heat exchanger while allowing the flow of air to pass through the second heat exchanger.

An electric vehicle thermal management system and method utilizing power demand models for both propulsion and auxiliary systems, and an intelligent thermal load management module. A navigation unit formulates potential routes to a destination that is either set by a driver or predicted by a drive cycle prediction module. The routes are used to inform the propulsion power demand model, while historical driving patterns based on GPS data and time-dependent climate inputs inform the auxiliary power demand model. The expected power demands for the individual systems and overall combined system are accounted for in calculations performed by optimization algorithms in an intelligent thermal load management module. The calculations produce desired temperature setpoints which send heating and cooling requests to refrigerant and coolant fluid handlers and subsequent actuators that control the refrigerant and coolant fluid loops.

A computer implemented method for managing charge availability of a charge unit (CU) to obtain charge for a battery of an electric vehicle (EV) is provided. The CU includes a computer for processing at least part of the method and for communicating with a server over a network. The method includes receiving, by the server, status information from the computer of the CU. The method includes sending to the computer of the CU instructions to make a reservation for the CU. The reservation is for a user account that has requested a desire to charge the battery of the electric vehicle of the user at the CU or another CU. The method includes sending, by the server, a confirmation for the reservation to the user account. The confirmation is viewable via a device having access to the server via the user account. The method includes sending, by the server, a data regarding a time of availability of the CU to the user account for the reservation. The computer of the CU is configured to display a visual indicator regarding the reservation of the CU.

A vehicle includes a vehicle cooling system for cooling a cabin and a battery system, each having a respective target operating range. The cooling system is configured to select among a cabin-only mode, battery-only mode, or a hybrid cooling mode for cooling the cabin and the battery system. In the hybrid mode, the system determines a desired pressure at an inlet of a compressor corresponding to a suction pressure of the compressor, to avoid cooling interruptions. The system generates a control signal based on the desired suction pressure, and applies the control signal to the compressor. Generating the control signal may include generating a feedforward signal the desired suction pressure, generating a feedback signal based on the suction pressure, or a combination thereof. For example, the use of hybrid mode based on suction pressure allows smoother response to targets with reduced delays in response in meeting the cooling demands.

A thermal management system includes a compressor, a water-cooled condenser, a battery chiller, a valve body assembly, a first water pump, a second water pump, and a third water pump that are disposed in a centralized manner. The thermal management system can separately form a passenger compartment cooling loop, a passenger compartment heating loop, a battery cooling loop, a battery heating loop, and an electrical driver cooling loop, and any one or more of the passenger compartment, the battery, and the electrical driver can be cooled or heated.

A method for managing energy consumption in a vehicle along a first route from a source location to a first target destination includes estimating an energy consumption, E.sub.PC, of the vehicle travelling from the source location to the first target destination along the first route. In case the amount of energy, E.sub.TOTAL, available in the vehicle is not on a level above E.sub.C that ensures arrival of the vehicle at the first target destination according to a first determined level of certainty, an estimated energy consumption, E.sub.AUX, of each auxiliary system on-board the vehicle for the first route, and an energy utilization information, EU.sub.INFO, indicating a priority level of each auxiliary system on-board the vehicle for the first route is obtained. An energy consumption adaption sequence of the auxiliary systems is determined for the first route based on the obtained E.sub.AUX and EU.sub.INFO of each auxiliary system such that E.sub.TOTAL is maintained on a level above E.sub.PC that ensures arrival of the vehicle at the first target destination according to a second determined level of certainty.

A cold ambient battery chilling mode of an electric vehicle may be implemented if the vehicle battery is being charged when the ambient air temperature is low and a temperature of the battery is elevated. During cold ambient charging, coolant flows through a heater core and through a battery heat exchanger. Cold ambient air may be utilized to cool the coolant flowing through the heater core, and coolant from the heater core flows through the battery heat exchanger and cools the battery during charging. A battery chiller may be deactivated when the cold ambient battery chilling mode is activated to reduce energy consumption.