Systems and methods for reporting on vehicle characteristics determined by the control system of a multi-speed automatic transmission of a vehicle are provided. The control system may output a vehicle mass alert based on a relationship between a vehicle mass threshold and a determined vehicle mass satisfying a condition. The control system may output a vehicle road grade alert based on a relationship between a vehicle road grade threshold and a determined vehicle road grade satisfying a condition.

A vehicle includes an accelerator pedal, an electric machine, and a controller. The electric machine is configured to propel and brake the vehicle according to a one-pedal driving operation. The controller is programmed to, in response to depressing the accelerator pedal, command a desired torque to the electric machine. The controller is further programmed to, adjust the desired torque based on a gradient of a road surface that the vehicle is positioned on. The controller is further programmed to, in response to movement of the electric machine in a direction that is opposite to a desired direction while the adjusted desired torque is being applied, increase the adjusted desired torque by a compensation torque such that movement of the electric machine transitions to the desired direction.

A universal traction device for movement over even and uneven supporting surfaces that includes an all-terrain wheel having a circular wheel assembly with a plurality of spoke-containing components arrayed around an outer perimeter wheel edge and control means for extending spokes from the spoke-containing units when encountering an obstacle that the vehicle is to traverse and retracting the spokes when the spokes are no longer required for traversing the obstacle.

A mower can be adaptively controlled to optimize efficiency based on loads experienced by motors that drive the cutting blades and/or based on vertical movement that a mower deck is experiencing. If the load is below a threshold, the ground speed of the mower can be increased. If the vertical movement or load exceeds a threshold, the ground speed can be reduced. The mower's performance can also be monitored to identify characteristics of an area being cut and then such characteristics can be used to further enhance the efficiency of the mower. A density map can be created based on monitored load, vertical movement and possibly other characteristics as a mower is cutting a particular area. The density map can be employed by any mower that is subsequently used to cut the same area.

An apparatus and a method for preventing a vehicle from falling into a sinkhole are provided. The apparatus prevents the vehicle from being unnecessarily stopped by determining whether to stop the vehicle based on a size of the sinkhole while preventing the vehicle from falling into the sinkhole on a road. The apparatus includes a sensor that is mounted on the vehicle to measure a distance to a ground and a controller that determines a size of the sinkhole based on the distance to the ground and determines whether to stop the vehicle while preventing the vehicle from falling into the sinkhole on a road.

A method and apparatus for controlling a vehicle are disclosed. The method comprises acquiring an acceleration of a front wheel and a rear wheel, determining that the front wheel is passing a bump of a road in response to determining that the acceleration of the front wheel is outside an acceleration range and fluctuates in the range wider than the acceleration range within a first maximum time period, determining that the rear wheel is passing the bump in response to determining that the acceleration of the rear wheel is outside the acceleration range and fluctuates in the range wider than the acceleration range within a second maximum time period, and in response to determining that the front wheel has passed the bump and the rear wheel is passing the bump, controlling a drive unit of the vehicle.

A vehicle includes an accelerator pedal, an electric machine, and a controller. The electric machine is configured to propel and brake the vehicle according to a one-pedal driving operation. The controller is programmed to, in response to depressing the accelerator pedal, command a desired torque to the electric machine. The controller is further programmed to, adjust the desired torque based on a gradient of a road surface that the vehicle is positioned on. The controller is further programmed to, in response to movement of the electric machine in a direction that is opposite to a desired direction while the adjusted desired torque is being applied, increase the adjusted desired torque by a compensation torque such that movement of the electric machine transitions to the desired direction.

An apparatus and a method for preventing a vehicle from falling into a sinkhole are provided. The apparatus prevents the vehicle from being unnecessarily stopped by determining whether to stop the vehicle based on a size of the sinkhole while preventing the vehicle from falling into the sinkhole on a road. The apparatus includes a sensor that is mounted on the vehicle to measure a distance to a ground and a controller that determines a size of the sinkhole based on the distance to the ground and determines whether to stop the vehicle while preventing the vehicle from falling into the sinkhole on a road.

A method and apparatus for controlling a vehicle are disclosed. The method comprises acquiring an acceleration of a front wheel and a rear wheel, determining that the front wheel is passing a bump of a road in response to determining that the acceleration of the front wheel is outside an acceleration range and fluctuates in the range wider than the acceleration range within a first maximum time period, determining that the rear wheel is passing the bump in response to determining that the acceleration of the rear wheel is outside the acceleration range and fluctuates in the range wider than the acceleration range within a second maximum time period, and in response to determining that the front wheel has passed the bump and the rear wheel is passing the bump, controlling a drive unit of the vehicle.

A mower can be adaptively controlled to optimize efficiency based on loads experienced by motors that drive the cutting blades and/or based on vertical movement that a mower deck is experiencing. If the load is below a threshold, the ground speed of the mower can be increased. If the vertical movement or load exceeds a threshold, the ground speed can be reduced. The mower's performance can also be monitored to identify characteristics of an area being cut and then such characteristics can be used to further enhance the efficiency of the mower. A density map can be created based on monitored load, vertical movement and possibly other characteristics as a mower is cutting a particular area. The density map can be employed by any mower that is subsequently used to cut the same area.