Controlling regenerative braking to reduce skidding of a vehicle

A utility vehicle, comprising:

• a utility vehicle body;
• a rechargeable battery supported by the utility vehicle body;
• an induction motor supported by the utility vehicle body;
• and
• a motor controller coupled with the rechargeable battery and the induction motor, the motor controller being constructed and arranged to provide power-limiting regenerative braking by performing a method of:
• detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in a forward direction at a first speed,
• applying a first regenerative braking power level to charge the rechargeable battery from the induction motor in response to detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in the forward direction at the first speed,
• detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in the forward direction at a second speed which is less than the first speed, and
• applying a second regenerative braking power level to charge the rechargeable battery from the induction motor in response to detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in the forward direction at the second speed, the second regenerative braking power level being lower than the first regenerative braking power level;
• wherein applying the first regenerative braking power level includes applying, as the first regenerative braking power level, a first predefined percentage of regenerative braking power;
• and
• wherein applying the second regenerative braking power level includes applying, as the second regenerative braking power level, a second predefined percentage of regenerative braking power, the second predefined percentage of regenerative braking power being less than the first predefined percentage of regenerative braking power.

A motor controller, comprising:

• a battery interface to couple with a rechargeable battery of the utility vehicle;
• a motor interface to couple with an induction motor of the utility vehicle;
• and
• control circuitry coupled with the battery interface and the motor interface, the control circuitry being constructed and arranged to provide power-limiting regenerative braking by performing a method of:
• detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in a forward direction at a first speed,
• applying a first regenerative braking power level to charge the rechargeable battery from the induction motor through the interfaces in response to detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in the forward direction at the first speed,
• detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in the forward direction at a second speed which is less than the first speed, and
• applying a second regenerative braking power level to charge the rechargeable battery from the induction motor through the interfaces in response to detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in the forward direction at the second speed, the second regenerative braking power level being lower than the first regenerative braking power level;
• wherein applying the first regenerative braking power level to the utility vehicle includes applying, as the first regenerative braking power level, a first predefined percentage of regenerative braking power;
• and
• wherein applying the second regenerative braking power level to the utility vehicle includes applying, as the second regenerative braking power level, a second predefined percentage of regenerative braking power, the second predefined percentage of regenerative braking power being less than the first predefined percentage of regenerative braking power.