A modular electric wheel assembly includes integral/in-built acceleration and braking componentry and/or steering and suspension componentry allowing for the modular application thereof. Each modular wheel assembly may receive drive control data from various sensors (such as accelerator and brake pedal position sensors, steering column rotational offset sensors and the like), vehicle control systems or the like so as to be able to independently drive, brake, steer and/or provide active suspension for the vehicle. The wheel assemblies may communicate with each other across a wheel assembly vehicular network, wherein a master wheel assembly may receive drive control data and control the slave wheel assemblies accordingly. The modular wheel assemblies may further communicate with each other to receive various sensor data, including rotational speed sensor data so as to be able to detect loss of traction events and the like so as to substantially autonomously take remedial traction control action.

Methods and systems are provided for using the weights of cost functions to improve linear-program-based vehicle driveline architectures and systems. In some embodiments, the methods and systems may include establishing values for driveline controls of a linear program based on driveline requests of the linear program. The values of the driveline controls, which may be used to adjust driveline actuators, may be established based on values of a plurality of weights of a cost function of the linear program, the weights respectively corresponding with the plurality of driveline requests.

An electrified vehicle includes a motor connected to wheels and configured to perform regenerative braking at the wheels, a battery configured to store regenerative electric power output by the motor through the regenerative braking, and a controller configured to control the regenerative braking such that a braking torque applied to the wheels is less than or equal to a maximum braking torque and the regenerative electric power output by the motor is lower than or equal to a maximum regenerative electric power. The controller is configured to be able to change the maximum regenerative electric power and, when the controller has changed the maximum regenerative electric power, change the maximum braking torque.

A towing device operably provided on a trailer for powering and controlling the trailer. The towing device has an actuator operably connected with the trailer during a towing operation. The towing device also has at least one switch provided in the actuator and operable to variably control at least one motor/generator provided on the trailer. The at least one switch is also operable to send a first signal to the at least one motor/generator via a first force exerted on the actuator by a vehicle, and wherein a first torque is applied to at least one wheel on the trailer via the at least one motor/generator being operably engaged with the at least one wheel. In addition, the towing device may include a controller operably connected to the at least one switch and to the at least one motor/generator, to control the torque applied by the at least one motor/generator.

A process to control a drive assembly includes the steps of providing a mathematical model associating a first quantity indicative of a torque delivered by a motor-generator with a second quantity indicative of a linear acceleration of a wheel hub unit, which receives the torque, acquiring a first signal indicative of the second quantity, determining a target signal of the first quantity by means of the mathematical model based on the acquired first signal, so that the torque indicated by the target signal involves at least a decrease in a difference between the second quantity and a reference, and controlling the motor-generator according to the determined target signal.

A vehicle control device that calculates a vehicle body velocity of a vehicle is disclosed. Sensors (18, 19) that obtain respective wheel velocities of left and right wheels (5) arranged along the vehicle width direction are provided. A calculator (11) that calculates, when the left and right wheels (5) are not slipping, an average value (A) of the wheel velocities as the vehicle body, and calculates, when at least one of the left and right wheels (5) is slipping, the vehicle body velocity on the basis of the average value (A) and a lower velocity value (B) between the wheel velocities is provided. With this configuration, the precision in calculating the vehicle body velocity is enhanced, suppressing a cost rise.

Systems and methods for coordinating and providing braking assistance between towing vehicles and towed vehicles during towing events, such as bidirectional charging towing events, are provided. The towing braking assistance may be provided by the towed vehicle in the form of an assistive braking torque output to assist the towing vehicle with meeting a target deceleration rate during the towing event. The assistive braking torque output may be provided to account for mutual vehicle deceleration events, brake compensation or brake fade events, and stability events of the coupled vehicles during the towing events, for example.

A bicycle with an electric pedal assist motor capable of driving a chainring independent of cranks includes wheel speed sensors and crank cadence sensors. The wheel speed sensors and the crank cadence sensors measure wheel speed and crank cadence, respectively, and provide the measured wheel speed and crank cadence to controller of the bicycle. The controller activates motor overdrive based on the measured wheel speed and/or the measured crank cadence.

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 method for controlling driving force of a vehicle includes: determining, by a controller, a basic torque command on the basis of vehicle operation information collected while a vehicle is driven; obtaining, by the controller, tire vertical load information and vehicle pitch motion information in real time during the vehicle is driven on the basis of the information collected from the vehicle; determining, by the controller, a final torque command using the determined basic torque command and the obtained tire vertical load information and vehicle pitch motion information; and controlling, by the controller, a torque output of a driving device configured to drive the vehicle according to the determined final torque command.