A drive system includes a first planetary gear set selectively coupled to a first electromagnetic device, a second planetary gear set coupled to a second electromagnetic device and directly coupled to the first planetary gear set, an engine directly coupled to the first planetary gear set with a connecting shaft, and an output shaft coupled to the first planetary gear set. The first and second electromagnetic devices include a first shaft and a second shaft, respectively. The connecting shaft extends through the second electromagnetic device and through the second planetary gear set to the first planetary gear set. The first shaft, the second shaft, the first planetary gear set, the second planetary gear set, the connecting shaft, and the output shaft are radially aligned, forming a straight-thru transmission arrangement.

A vehicular drive device where the damper, the differential gear device, and the first rotary electric machine are disposed side by side on a first axis that is common thereto, the second rotary electric machine is disposed on a second axis that is parallel to the first axis and is different from the first axis, the output device is disposed on a third axis that is parallel to the first axis and is different from the first axis and the second axis, and the first gear mechanism is disposed on a fourth axis that is positioned on a side opposite to the second axis side with respect to a first reference plane that is a plane including both the first axis and the third axis.

A drive system includes a first planetary gear set coupled to a first electromagnetic device, a second planetary gear set coupled to a second electromagnetic device and directly coupled to the first planetary gear set, an engine directly coupled to the first planetary gear set with a connecting shaft, and an output shaft coupled to the first planetary gear set. The first and second electromagnetic devices include a first shaft and a second shaft, respectively. The connecting shaft extends through the second electromagnetic device and through the second planetary gear set to the first planetary gear set. The first shaft, the second shaft, the first planetary gear set, the second planetary gear set, the connecting shaft, and the output shaft are radially aligned, forming a straight-thru transmission arrangement.

Misfire detection techniques for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) including an internal combustion engine and an electric motor involve utilizing a crankshaft speed sensor configured to generate a crankshaft speed signal indicative of a rotational speed of a crankshaft of the engine that is coupled to the electric motor via a flywheel. The techniques also utilize a controller configured to control the electric motor to provide a vibrational response to dampen disturbances to the crankshaft, receive the crankshaft speed signal, selectively modify the crankshaft speed signal to obtain a modified crankshaft speed signal, and detect a misfire of the engine based on the modified crankshaft speed signal and a set of thresholds including at least one of a negative misfire threshold and a positive vibrational response threshold.

A vehicle includes an engine, and a transmission including a torque converter having an impeller. The vehicle further includes an electric machine configured to provide drive torque to the impeller. The impeller is selectively coupled to the engine via a clutch. At least one vehicle controller is configured to, in response to the engine being OFF, the transmission being in DRIVE, a vehicle speed being zero and a brake pedal being released beyond a threshold position, command the electric machine to provide a torque to the impeller. The torque is a predetermined feedforward torque adjusted by a feedback torque that is based on a difference between measured and calculated speeds. The speeds may be the speeds of the electric machine.

A method for operating a powertrain of a hybrid vehicle is provided. The method includes outputting via a controller an engine speed command that is based on a predicted impeller speed of a torque converter and corresponds to the accelerator tip-in to output a torque from the engine to wheels of the vehicle in response to detection of an accelerator pedal tip-in greater than a predetermined threshold. The method may also include accessing a history of impeller speed outputs of the hybrid vehicle to obtain the predicted impeller speed. The engine speed command may set engine speed substantially equal to or greater than the predicted impeller speed. The predetermined threshold may be based on a driver requested torque output of the wheels in which torque from the torque converter to the wheels results in saturation.

The present invention relates to a hybrid powertrain, comprising an internal combustion engine; a gearbox with an input shaft and an output shaft; a first planetary gear, connected to the input shaft; a second planetary gear, connected to the first planetary gear; a first electrical machine, connected to the first planetary gear; a second electrical machine, connected to the second planetary gear; at least one gear pair, connected with the first planetary gear and the output shaft; and at least one gear pair, connected with the second planetary gear and the output shaft, wherein the internal combustion engine is connected with the first planetary gear via the input shaft, wherein a countershaft is arranged between the respective first and second planetary gears and the output shaft; and the countershaft is connected with the output shaft via a range gearbox.

When an engine start command is generated to an engine that is in a stopped state, engine start control for cranking the engine and starting fuel combustion after increasing the engine speed is performed. In the engine start control, one of a first start pattern in which an initial combustion speed is higher than a resonance speed of the engine, and a second start pattern in which the initial combustion speed is lower than the resonance speed of the engine is selected according to the speed ratio (gear position) of a transmission. Cranking torque in the second start pattern is lower than the cranking torque in the first start pattern.

A vehicle comprises a hybrid powertrain includes an electric machine coupled between an automatic gearbox and an engine. The vehicle includes paddle shifters configured to output a driver requested gear change. The hybrid powertrain is configured to selectively operate in an economy mode that optimizes fuel economy. While operating in the economy mode, a controller may selectively inhibit the driver requested gear change when the change may negatively impact fuel economy. In the economy mode, the driver requested gear change may be inhibited during a demand for braking. If the driver requested gear change is a downshift request, the downshift is inhibited and simulated using electric machine torque.

A startup control device includes a vehicle temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the vehicle, a vehicle startup controller configured to select the second vehicle startup mode in a low temperature state in which the temperature of the vehicle is equal to or smaller than at least a first temperature judgment value when the request of the startup of the vehicle is sensed, and to select the third vehicle startup mode in an extremely low temperature state in which the temperature of the vehicle is equal to or smaller than a second vehicle temperature judgment value which is smaller than the first temperature judgment value when the request of the startup of the vehicle is sensed.