Controllerless electric drive system

A controllerless hybrid drive system comprising:

• a battery;
• a substantially constant-speed electric motor;
• an engine;
• a clutch;
• an infinitely variable transmission;
• and
• one or more powered wheels, wherein the battery is coupled to the substantially constant-speed electric motor, wherein the engine is coupled to the motor through the clutch, and wherein the substantially constant-speed electric motor is coupled to the infinitely variable transmission, such that both the battery and the engine provide power for the electric motor to drive the infinitely variable transmission which turns the one or more powered wheels, without implementing a controller to vary the current and voltage between the battery and the motor.

At a computing device, a method for controlling drive system characteristics based on one or more received drive system inputs, the drive system including at least a motor and an infinitely variable transmission (IVT), the method comprising:

• an act of receiving one or more inputs from a vehicle user indicating that at least one of an acceleration rate and a deceleration rate is to be adjusted, the acceleration and deceleration rates being adjustable using an actuator configured to vary the rpm of the output shaft of the IVT;
• an act of determining, based on the received inputs, the degree to which the acceleration rate or the deceleration rate is to be adjusted;
• and
• an act of adjusting at least one of the acceleration rate and the deceleration rate by varying the rpm of the output shaft of the IVT using the actuator.