Vehicle Energy Management System and Related Methods

A vehicle, comprising:

• a vehicle frame configured for over-the-roadway travel under a power of plural drive axles, wherein at least one of the plural drive axles is coupled via a primary drivetrain to a fuel-fed engine to drive at least a pair of wheels, and wherein at least one other of the plural drive axles is a first electrically-powered drive axle configured to supply supplemental torque to one or more additional wheels of the vehicle;
• an energy store on the vehicle, the energy store configured to supply the first electrically-powered drive axle with electrical power in a first mode of operation and further configured to receive energy recovered using the first electrically-powered drive axle in a second mode of operation;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled between the first electrically-powered drive axle and one or more sensor inputs, including at least a brake line sensor, to transition between the first, the second, and at least a third mode of operation, wherein the controller is not coupled to control the fuel-fed engine or the primary drivetrain.

The vehicle of claim 36, wherein the energy store comprises:

• a battery;
• a battery management system for controllably maintaining a desired state of charge (SoC) of the energy store during the over-the-roadway travel;
• and
• a heat exchanger for at least moderating a temperature of the battery during the over-the-roadway travel.