Vehicular switching, including switching traction modes and shifting gears while in electric traction mode

A method of operating a vehicle having a transmission with a transmission input shaft coupled by a clutch to an internal combustion engine (ICE), the transmission input shaft further coupled to a drive shaft of an electric traction motor (ETM) through a transfer gear set coupled to a power take-offport of the transmission, the method comprising:

• enabling a control system receiving signals from an electrical system of the vehicle and sensors monitoring operations of the vehicle and generating output control sigials;
• enabling an ETM operational mode of the control system in response to an ETM mode signal and a signal indicating the ICE is powered OFF;
• signaling a clutch actuator to hold a clutch pedal in a depressed position in response to the ETM mode signal, wherein the clutch disengages the ICE from the transmission input shaft when the clutch pedal is depressed and engages the ICE to the transmission input shaft when the clutch pedal is not depressed;
• determining a rotational speed of each of a plurality of shifting gears driven by the ETM in response to a first speed signal;
• determining a rotational speed of shifting collars coupled to the output shaft of the transmission in response to a second speed signal;
• generating a shift indication when a particular shifting gear matches the rotational speed of a particular shifting collar;
• and
• shifting from neutral to engage the particular shifting collar with the particular shifting gear without disengaging the ETM from the transfer gear set in response to observing on one or more displays the shift indication.

An apparatus in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine (“ICE”) mechanically coupled via a manual clutch to an input of a transmission, the clutch being operable, responsive to actuation by a driver, for disengaging the ICE from the transmission input, the apparatus comprising:

• an electric motor coupled to the transmission input via a transfer gear such that operation of the clutch to disengage the ICE from the transmission input does not disengage the electric motor from the transmission input, wherein the transmission includes an output coupled to road wheels of the vehicle to thereby power rotation of the road wheels;
• an actuator coupled to the clutch;
• controls operable to position the actuator to hold the clutch with the ICE disengaged from the transmission input so the road wheels are powered by the electric motor instead of the ICE, wherein the transmission includes shifting gears and a shifting mechanism having a neutral position, wherein in the neutral position the shifting gears are disengaged from the transmission input, the transmission having engaged positions for the respective shifting gears, wherein with the shifting mechanism in respective engaged positions, the shifting gears engage the transmission output and have fixed rotational relationships with respect to the rotation of the road wheels;
• a first speed indicator operable to present to the driver a speed dependent upon rotation of the electric motor;
• and
• a second speed indicator operable to present to the driver a speed dependent upon the rotation of the road wheels, so that with the road wheels rotating and the ICE disengaged from the transmission input via the clutch, the driver may select and engage one of the shifting gears by i) shifting the shifting mechanism to the neutral position, ii) adjusting the rotation of the electric motor by reference to the first and second speed indicators to match rotation of a selected shifting gear for current rotation of the road wheels, and iii) shifting the shifting mechanism to a position engaging the selected shifting gear to the transmission output.

A method in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine (“ICE”) mechanically coupled via a manual clutch to an input of a manual transmission, the clutch being operable, responsive to actuation by a driver, for disengaging the ICE from the transmission, the method comprising:

• coupling an electric motor to the transmission input via a transfer gear, such that operation of the clutch to disengage the ICE from the transmission does not disengage the electric motor from the transmission, wherein the transmission includes an output coupled to road wheels of the vehicle;
• coupling an actuator to the clutch;
• positioning the actuator to hold the clutch with the ICE disengaged from the transmission for powering the road wheels by the electric motor and not the ICE, wherein the transmission includes shifting gears and a shifting mechanism having a neutral position in which the shifting gears are disengaged and having engaged positions for respective shifting gears, wherein with the shifting mechanism in the respective engaged positions the shifting gears engage the transmission output and have fixed rotational relationships with respect to rotation of the road wheels;
• and
• presenting to the driver a first speed indication dependent upon rotation of the electric motor and a second speed indication dependent upon rotation of the road wheels, so that with the road wheels rotating and the ICE disengaged from the transmission via the clutch, the driver may select and engage one of the shifting gears by i) shifting the shifting mechanism to the neutral position, ii) adjusting rotation of the electric motor by reference to the speed indicators to match rotation of the selected one of the shifting gears for current rotation of the road wheels, and iii) shifting the shifting mechanism to a position engaging the selected one of the shifting gears to the transmission output.