Electric vehicle and control method therefor

Abstract

A method of transitioning an electric snowmobile from a drive state to a reverse state comprising receiving at a controller a reverse request from a user interface of the electric snowmobile. Upon receipt of the reverse request, the controller transitions the electric snowmobile from a drive state to a reverse state when a speed signal associated with the electric snowmobile is below a predetermined speed threshold and transitions the electric snowmobile from a drive state to a reverse requested state when a speed signal associated with the electric snowmobile is above a predetermined speed threshold. In the reverse state, the controller drives the electric snowmobile in a reverse direction based on a throttle signal and in the reverse requested state, the controller does not drive operation of the electric snowmobile based on the throttle signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of transitioning an electric snowmobile from a drive state to a reverse state, the method comprising:
 receiving at a controller a reverse request from a user interface of the electric snowmobile;   wherein, upon receipt of the reverse request, the controller being operative to:   transition the electric snowmobile from a drive state to a reverse state when a speed signal associated with the electric snowmobile is below a predetermined speed threshold, wherein in the reverse state, the controller drives the electric snowmobile in a reverse direction based on a throttle signal; and,   transition the electric snowmobile from a drive state to a reverse requested state when a speed signal associated with the electric snowmobile is above a predetermined speed threshold, wherein in the reverse requested state, the controller does not drive operation of the electric snowmobile based on the throttle signal.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, when the electric snowmobile is in the reverse requested state, the controller is further operative to: transition the electric snowmobile from the reverse requested state to the reverse state when the speed signal transitions from above the speed threshold to below the speed threshold. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, when the electric snowmobile is in the drive state, the controller drives the electric snowmobile in a forward direction based on the throttle signal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the transition from the drive state to the reverse state is contingent upon determining that a throttle signal is below a throttle threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the transition from the drive state to the reverse requested state includes changing an indicator configuration in a user interface of the electric snowmobile. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said changing the indicator configuration includes at least one of changing a configuration of a visual indicator and changing a configuration of an audible indicator. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, when the electric snowmobile is in the reverse requested state, the controller is further operative to: transition the electric snowmobile from the reverse requested state to the reverse state when the speed signal transitions from above the speed threshold to below the speed threshold, and wherein the transition from the reverse requested state to the reverse state includes changing an indicator configuration in the user interface. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising generating the reverse request upon operator interaction with a user input on a user interface of the electric snowmobile. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising acquiring the speed signal associated with the electric snowmobile, the speed signal comprising at least one of a vehicle speed and a motor speed. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein driving the electric snowmobile in the reverse direction includes mapping a throttle signal to a corresponding power request based on a power map, and applying the power request to an electric motor of the electric snowmobile. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, when the electric snowmobile is in the reverse requested state, the controller is further operative to: transition the electric snowmobile from the reverse requested state to the drive state when a throttle signal above a throttle threshold value is received. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the reverse requested state, the controller drives the electric motor in a regenerative mode to actively decelerate the electric snowmobile. 
     
     
         13 . A snowmobile having a powertrain including an electric motor mechanically engaged with a track, a motoring battery configured for supplying the electric motor with electrical power, a throttle actuator operable to provide a throttle signal changing as a function of a position of the throttle actuator, a speed sensor operable to provide a speed signal associated with the electric snowmobile, a user interface operable to receive a reverse request from a driver of the snowmobile, and a controller having a processor and a non-transitory memory, the non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by the processor for enabling the controller to:
 when the controller is in a drive state, operate an electric motor of the electric snowmobile in a forward angular direction based on the throttle signal, and, when the reverse request has been received, transition from the drive state to a reverse requested state;   when the controller is in the reverse requested state, negate control of the electric motor on a basis of the throttle signal, and, transition to a reverse state when the speed signal transitions from above a speed threshold to below the speed threshold; and   when the controller is in the reverse state, operate the electric motor in the reverse angular direction based on the throttle signal.   
     
     
         14 . The snowmobile of  claim 13  wherein said transitioning from the drive state to a reverse requested state is contingent upon determining that the throttle signal is below a throttle threshold value. 
     
     
         15 . The snowmobile of  claim 13  wherein said transitioning from the drive state to the reverse requested state includes changing an indicator configuration in the user interface of the electric snowmobile. 
     
     
         16 . The snowmobile of  claim 15  wherein said transitioning from the reverse requested state to the reverse state includes changing an indicator configuration in the user interface. 
     
     
         17 . An electric vehicle comprising:
 an electric motor;   a battery configured for supplying the electric motor with electrical power;   a throttle actuator operable to provide a throttle signal changing as a function of a position of the throttle actuator;   a controller having a processor and a non-transitory memory, the non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by the processor for enabling the controller to:
 receive a reverse request from a user interface of the electric vehicle; 
 wherein, upon receipt of the reverse request, the controller being operative to: 
 transition the electric vehicle from a drive state to a reverse state when a speed signal associated with the electric vehicle is below a predetermined speed threshold, wherein in the reverse state, the controller drives the electric vehicle in a reverse direction based on the throttle signal; and, 
 transition the electric vehicle from a drive state to a reverse requested state when a speed signal associated with the electric vehicle is above a predetermined speed threshold, wherein in the reverse requested state, the controller does not drive operation of the electric vehicle based on the throttle signal. 
   
     
     
         18 . The electric vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein in the reverse requested state, the controller is further operative to: transition the electric vehicle from the reverse requested state to the reverse state when the speed signal transitions from above the speed threshold to below the speed threshold. 
     
     
         19 . A method of transitioning an electric snowmobile from a drive state to a reverse state, the method comprising:
 receiving at a controller a reverse request from a user interface of the electric snowmobile;   wherein, upon receipt of the reverse request, the controller being operative to:   transition the electric snowmobile from a drive state to a reverse state when a speed signal associated with the electric snowmobile is below a predetermined speed threshold, wherein in the reverse state, the controller drives an electric motor of the electric snowmobile in a reverse direction based on a throttle signal; and,   transition the electric snowmobile from a drive state to a reverse requested state when a speed signal associated with the electric snowmobile is above a predetermined speed threshold, wherein in the reverse requested state, the controller drives the electric motor in a regenerative mode to actively decelerate the electric snowmobile.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein in the reverse requested state, the controller sustains the regenerative mode until the speed signal reaches the predetermined speed threshold.