Optimizing regenerative braking efficiency in a hybrid vehicle

A vehicle comprising:

• a powertrain including a battery, a motor/generator configured to perform regenerative braking, and a transmission;
• friction brakes;
• and
• a controller programmed to hold friction braking steady while modulating a magnitude of the regenerative braking during a braking event in response to a magnitude of average desired brake torque predicted to exceed a magnitude of powertrain regenerative torque limit for the entire braking event.

An autonomous vehicle comprising:

• a powertrain including:
• an engine,
• a transmission, and
• a motor separately selectively coupled to the engine and the transmission and capable of performing regenerative braking;
• fiction brakes;
• a sensor configured to detect a distance to an object in front of the vehicle;
• and
• a controller programmed to automatically control amounts of regenerative braking and friction braking during a braking event based on a predictive comparison at a beginning of the braking event between a regenerative torque limit of the powertrain and an average desired brake torque until an end of the braking event dependent on the distance.