WO2025031582A1 - Motor control - Google Patents

Abstract

A computer system (100) comprising processing circuitry (110) is presented. The processing circuitry (110) is configured to obtain current driving conditions (220) of a vehicle (10) propelled by an electrical propulsion source and obtain a torque demand (210) indicating a wanted torque value to be provided by the electrical propulsion source. The processing circuitry (110) is further configured to estimate a combustion engine torque response (235) to the torque demand (210) at the current driving conditions (220), and control, selectively based on the combustion engine torque response (235), the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value.

Description

MOTOR CONTROL

TECHNICAL FIELD

[1] The disclosure relates generally to vehicles and control of vehicles. In particular aspects, the disclosure relates to motor control of an electrically propelled vehicle. The disclosure can be applied to heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment, among other vehicle types. Although the disclosure may be described with respect to a particular vehicle, the disclosure is not restricted to any particular vehicle.

BACKGROUND

[2] Fuel efficiency is an important aspect when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs) and their sustainability. EVs are known for being energy-efficient and contributing to the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.

[3] One of the primary advantages of EVs is their ability to convert a significant portion of the electrical energy used into mechanical power to propel the vehicle. Compared to gasoline or diesel-powered cars, EVs have higher efficiency because they do not suffer from losses in the combustion process. Therefore, they can utilize energy more efficiently and produce more motion per unit of supplied energy.

[4] Fuel efficiency in EVs may be further improved by choosing a suitable range and battery capacity that aligns with individual driving needs. Additionally, adopting efficient driving techniques such as smooth acceleration, maintaining a steady speed, and utilizing regenerative braking may also increase fuel efficiency in EVs. Additional factors that contribute to the fuel efficiency of EVs include their regenerative braking systems and aerodynamic designs.

EVs plays an important role in promoting sustainable transportation and reducing environmental impact by utilizing energy resources more efficiently and minimizing emissions. However, there is a need to further increase the fuel efficiency of EVs.

SUMMARY

[5] According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a computer system comprising processing circuitry is presented. The processing circuitry is configured to obtain current driving conditions of a vehicle propelled by an electrical propulsion source, and obtain a torque demand indicating a wanted torque value to be provided by the electrical propulsion source. The processing circuitry is further configured to estimate a combustion engine torque response to the torque demand at the current driving conditions, and control, selectively based on the combustion engine torque response, the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value. The first aspect of the disclosure may seek to reduce power consumption of an electrical vehicle, and specifically, reduce a risk of limping of fuel cell electrical vehicles. A technical benefit may include reducing the power consumption of an electrical vehicle without negatively affecting a flow of traffic.

[6] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to selectively control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response, based on the current driving conditions. A technical benefit may include allowing the vehicle to benefit from the full torque capabilities of the electrical propulsion source at select situations. Such situations may be overtaking of vehicles, accelerating after a turn into traffic etc.

[7] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain current driving conditions indicating at least a current state of charge of a propulsion battery of the vehicle, and in response to the current state of charge of a propulsion battery of the vehicle being below a state of charge threshold, control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response. A technical benefit may include reducing a risk of limping or completely depleting an energy source of the vehicle.

[8] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain current driving conditions indicating at least a current weight of the vehicle, and in response to the current weight of the vehicle being above a weight threshold, control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response. A technical benefit may include ensuring that a battery is not depleted or the vehicle limps due to a heavy load.

[9] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain current driving conditions indicating at least a current speed of the vehicle, and in response to the current speed of the vehicle being above a speed threshold, control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response. A technical benefit may include ensuring that a battery is not depleted or the vehicle limps due to too high speed.

[10] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain current driving conditions indicating at least an inclination and a length of an upcoming road segment, and in response to the inclination and length of the upcoming road segment being above an uphill threshold, control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response. A technical benefit may include ensuring that the vehicle will not limp or the battery deplete during climbing of a hill.

[11] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain current driving conditions indicating at least a current state of an eco-propulsion mode selector of the vehicle, and in response to the state of the eco-propulsion mode selector of the vehicle indicating an eco-friendly propulsion mode, control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response. A technical benefit may include allowing an operator control the use of, and/or the amount of the combustion engine torque response that is to be used when controlling the electrical propulsion source.

[12] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain the current driving conditions from one or more sensor circuitry of the vehicle. A technical benefit may include obtaining the current driving conditions at a low cost by utilizing on-board sensors.

[13] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to estimate the combustion engine torque response by simulating a torque response provided by a drivetrain comprising a combustion engine operating at driving conditions corresponding to the current driving conditions. A technical benefit may include providing an accurate estimate of the combustion engine torque response as the entire drivetrain is taken into consideration.

[14] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to estimate the combustion engine torque response by selecting a torque response from a set of preconfigured torque responses mapping combustion engine torque responses to specific driving conditions. A technical benefit may include providing a quick, and computationally light combustion engine torque response. [15] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain the torque demand from cruise control circuitry of the vehicle. A technical benefit may include allowing the combustion engine torque response to be utilized also when cruise control is active.

[16] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain the torque demand from an operator controlled input of the vehicle. A technical benefit may include allowing the combustion engine torque response to be utilized also when the vehicle is manually operated.

[17] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the processing circuitry is further configured to selectively control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response, based on the current driving conditions; obtain current driving conditions indicating at least a current state of charge of a propulsion battery of the vehicle, and in response to the current state of charge of a propulsion battery of the vehicle being below a state of charge threshold, control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response; obtain current driving conditions indicating at least a current weight of the vehicle, and in response to the current weight of the vehicle being above a weight threshold, control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response; obtain current driving conditions indicating at least a current speed of the vehicle, and in response to the current speed of the vehicle being above a speed threshold, control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response; obtain current driving conditions indicating at least an inclination and a length of an upcoming road segment, and in response to the inclination and length of the upcoming road segment being above an uphill threshold, control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response; obtain current driving conditions indicating at least a current state of an eco-propulsion mode selector of the vehicle, and in response to the state of the eco-propulsion mode selector of the vehicle indicating an eco-friendly propulsion mode, control the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response; obtain the current driving conditions from one or more sensor circuitry of the vehicle; estimate the combustion engine torque response by simulating a torque response provided by a drivetrain comprising a combustion engine operating at driving conditions corresponding to the current driving conditions or estimate the combustion engine torque response by selecting a torque response from a set of preconfigured torque responses mapping combustion engine torque responses to specific driving conditions; obtain the torque demand from cruise control circuitry of the vehicle or obtain the torque demand from an operator controlled input of the vehicle.

[18] According to a second aspect of the disclosure a vehicle is presented. The vehicle comprises an electric propulsion source and the computer system of any the first aspect. The second aspect of the disclosure may seek to provide a vehicle with reduce power consumption. A technical benefit may include a vehicle having a reduced the power consumption without negatively affecting a flow of traffic.

[19] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the vehicle comprises a fuel cell propulsion source. A technical benefit may include a reduced risk of limping due to a battery being discharged.

[20] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the vehicle is a heavy-duty vehicle. A technical benefit may include providing a heavy-duty vehicle having a reduced the power consumption without negatively affecting a flow of traffic.

[21] According to a third aspect of the disclosure, a computer implemented method is presented. The method comprises obtaining, by processing circuitry of a computer system, current driving conditions of a vehicle propelled by an electrical propulsion source, and obtaining, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, a torque demand indicating a wanted torque value to be provided by the electrical propulsion source. The method further comprises estimating, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, a combustion engine torque response to the torque demand at the current driving conditions, and controlling, selectively based on the combustion engine torque response, the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value. The third aspect of the disclosure may seek to reduce power consumption of an electrical vehicle, and specifically, reduce a risk of limping of fuel cell electrical vehicles. A technical benefit may include reducing the power consumption of an electrical vehicle without negatively affecting a flow of traffic.

[22] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises selectively controlling, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response, based on the current driving conditions. A technical benefit may include allowing the vehicle to benefit from the full torque capabilities of the electrical propulsion source at select situations. Such situations may be overtaking of vehicles, accelerating after a turn into traffic etc.

[23] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises obtaining, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, current driving conditions indicating at least a current state of charge of a propulsion battery of the vehicle, and in response to the current inclination of the vehicle being below a state of charge threshold, controlling, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response. A technical benefit may include reducing a risk of limping or completely depleting an energy source of the vehicle.

[24] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises obtaining, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, current driving conditions indicating at least a current weight of the vehicle, and in response to the current weight of the vehicle being above a weight threshold, controlling, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response. A technical benefit may include ensuring that a battery is not depleted or the vehicle limps due to a heavy load.

[25] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises obtaining, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, current driving conditions indicating at least a current speed of the vehicle, and in response to the current speed being above a speed threshold, controlling, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response. A technical benefit may include ensuring that a battery is not depleted or the vehicle limps due to too high speed.

[26] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises obtaining, obtaining, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, current driving conditions indicating at least an inclination and a length of an upcoming road segment, and in response to the inclination and length of the upcoming road segment being above an uphill threshold, controlling, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response. A technical benefit may include ensuring that the vehicle will not limp or the battery deplete during climbing of a hill. [27] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises obtaining, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, current driving conditions indicating at least a current state of an eco-propulsion mode selector, and in response to the state of an eco-propulsion mode selector indicating an eco- friendly propulsion mode, controlling, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, the electrical propulsion source to provide the wanted torque value based on the combustion engine torque response. A technical benefit may include allowing an operator control the use of, and/or the amount of the combustion engine torque response that is to be used when controlling the electrical propulsion source.

[28] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises obtaining, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, the current driving conditions from one or more sensor circuitry of the vehicle. A technical benefit may include obtaining the current driving conditions at a low cost by utilizing onboard sensors.

[29] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises estimating the combustion engine torque response by simulating, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, a torque response provided by a drivetrain operating at driving conditions corresponding to the current driving conditions. A technical benefit may include providing an accurate estimate of the combustion engine torque response as the entire drivetrain is taken into consideration.

[30] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises estimating the combustion engine torque response by selecting, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, a torque response from a set of preconfigured torque responses mapping combustion engine torque responses to specific driving conditions. A technical benefit may include providing a quick, and computationally light combustion engine torque response.

[31] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises obtaining, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, the torque demand from cruise control circuitry of the vehicle. A technical benefit may include allowing the combustion engine torque response to be utilized also when cruise control is active.

[32] Optionally in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises obtaining, by the processing circuitry of the computer system, the torque demand from an operator controlled input of the vehicle. A technical benefit may include allowing the combustion engine torque response to be utilized also when the vehicle is manually operated.

[33] According to a fourth aspect of the disclosure, a computer program product is presented. The computer program product comprises program code for performing, when executed by a processing circuitry, the computer implemented method of the third aspect. The fourth aspect of the disclosure may seek to reduce power consumption of an electrical vehicle, and specifically, reduce a risk of limping of fuel cell electrical vehicles. A technical benefit may include reducing the power consumption of an electrical vehicle without negatively affecting a flow of traffic.

[34] According to a fifth aspect of the disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is presented. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprises instructions, which when executed by a processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform the computer implemented method of the third aspect. The fifth aspect of the disclosure may seek to reduce power consumption of an electrical vehicle, and specifically, reduce a risk of limping of fuel cell electrical vehicles. A technical benefit may include reducing the power consumption of an electrical vehicle without negatively affecting a flow of traffic.

[35] The disclosed aspects, examples (including any preferred examples), and/or accompanying claims may be suitably combined with each other as would be apparent to anyone of ordinary skill in the art. Additional features and advantages are disclosed in the following description, claims, and drawings, and in part will be readily apparent therefrom to those skilled in the art or recognized by practicing the disclosure as described herein.

[36] There are also disclosed herein computer systems, control units, code modules, computer-implemented methods, computer readable media, and computer program products associated with the above discussed technical benefits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[37] Examples are described in more detail below with reference to the appended drawings.

[38] FIG. 1A is side view of an exemplary vehicle according to an example.

[39] FIG. IB is a block diagram of the exemplary vehicle of FIG. 1A. [40] FIG. 2 is an exemplary power curve of an electrical motor according to an example.

[41] FIG. 3 is an exemplary power curve of an internal combustion engine according to an example.

[42] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a computer system according to an example.

[43] FIG. 5 is s system diagram of a torque manager according to an example.

[44] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a internal combustion engine torque estimator according to an example.

[45] FIG. 6B is a table of a partial internal combustion engine model according to an example.

[46] FIG. 6C is a table of a partial internal combustion engine model according to an example.

[47] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a method according to an example.

[48] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a computer program product according to an example.

[49] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing examples disclosed herein, according to an example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[50] The detailed description set forth below provides information and examples of the disclosed technology with sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure.

[51] FIG. 1A is an exemplary schematic side view of a heavy-duty vehicle 10 (hereinafter referred to vehicle 10 for reasons of brevity). This particular vehicle 10 comprises a tractor unit 10a which is arranged to tow a trailer unit 10b. In other examples, other heavy-duty vehicles may be employed, e.g., trucks, buses, and construction equipment. Although not explicitly visualized in FIGS. 1A, the skilled person will appreciate that the vehicle 10 comprises all necessary vehicle units and associated functionality such that it may operate as the skilled person would expect of a vehicle 10, such as a drivetrain, chassis, and various control systems. Emphasis in the present disclosure is rather directed at control of an electric propulsion source 12 of the vehicle 10, and therefore functionality and features related this will be the focus of the present disclosure. To this end, the vehicle 10 comprises one or more propulsion sources 12. The propulsion source 12 may be any suitable propulsion source 12 exemplified by, but not limited to, one or more or a combination of an electrical motor, a combustion engine such as a diesel, gas or gasoline powered engine. For the present disclosure, at least one propulsion source 12 is an electric propulsion source 12, or electric motor 12. Advantageously, the vehicle 10 is fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) 10. The vehicle 10 further comprises an energy source 14 suitable for providing energy for the propulsion source 12. That is to say, if the propulsion source 12 is an electrical motor, a suitable energy source 14 would be a battery and/or a fuel cell.

[52] The vehicle 10 further comprises sensor circuitry 16 arranged to detect, measure, sense or otherwise obtain data relevant for operation of the vehicle 10. The data relevant for operation of the vehicle 10 may be exemplified by, but not limited to, one or more of a speed of the vehicle 10, a weight of the vehicle 10, an inclination of the vehicle 10, current revolutions per minute (RPM) of the propulsion source 12, a status (state of charge, fuel level etc.) of the energy source 14, a presence of road users in a vicinity of the vehicle 10, a current speed limit of a current road travelled by the vehicle 10 etc. Optionally, the vehicle 10 may comprise communications circuitry 18 configured for communication with, to the vehicle 10, external devices. The vehicle 10 further comprises a computer system 100, the computer system 100 will be further explained in following sections.

[53] With reference to the block diagram of the vehicle 10 in FIG. IB, some external devices will be exemplified. The vehicle 10 may communicate with a cloud server 20 directly, via the communications circuitry 18, or via a communications interface, via the communications circuitry 18, such as a cellular communications interface exemplified by a radio base station 30 in FIG. IB. The cloud server 20 may be any suitable cloud server exemplified by, but not limited to, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), IBM Cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, Alibaba Cloud, Rackspace etc. The communications interface is advantageously a wireless communications interface exemplified by, but not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, LoRa, Sigfox, 2G (GSM, CDMA), 3G (UMTS, CDMA2000), 4G (LTE), 5G (NR) etc. The vehicle 10 may further be operatively connected to a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) 40, via the communications circuitry 18, exemplified by, but not limited to, global positioning system (GPS), Globalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS), Galileo, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) etc. The vehicle 10 may be configured to utilize data obtain from the GNSS 40 to determine a geographical location of the vehicle 10.

[54] The computer system 100 of the vehicle 10 is advantageously operatively connected to the communications circuitry 18, the sensor circuitry 16, the energy source 200 and/or the propulsion source 12 of the vehicle 10. The computer system 100 comprises processing circuitry 110. The computer system 100 may comprise a storage device 120, advantageously a non-volatile storage device such as hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs) etc. In some examples, the storage device 120 is operatively connected to the computer system 100.

[55] In FIG. 2, a power Pem (dashed line) and torque Tem (solid line) for an electric motor 12 is shown versus RPM of the electric motor 12. In FIG. 3, a power Pee (dashed line) and torque Tee (solid line) for a corresponding combustion engine shown versus RPM of the combustion engine. As seen when coparing FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, A combustion engine (e.g. diesel or gasoline) exhibits a power curve with narrow RPM range wherein the combustion engine is capable of provide peak power Pee and peak torque Tee. As the skilled person understands, the power Pee and torque Tee in relation to the RPM provided by a combustion engine will depend on a transmission etc. of a driveshaft. Regardless, an electric motor is capable of providing a high power over a wider RPM of the electrical motor, compared to a combustion engine. As a result, an electrical vehicle is capable of providing peak power Pem and peak torque Tem over a comparably wide RPM range.

[56] One challenge of an electrical vehicle 10 is that a range, sometimes referred to as a mission range, of the electrical vehicle 10 will be compared to a corresponding range of an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. For an end customer or consumer, when switching from ICE vehicle to an electrical vehicle, it is important to maintaining a similar vehicle speed, a similar payload, and a similar mission range and at the same time providing a beneficial total cost of ownership.

[57] As mentioned, for the present disclosure, the vehicle 10 is an electrical vehicle such as a battery electrical vehicle (BEV) 10 or fuel cell electrical vehicle (FCEV) 10. In a FCEV 10, the energy source 14 generally comprises a fuel cell in combination with a battery. Fuel cells are able to provide continuous power as long as fuel (generally hydrogen) is supplied. Batteries on the other hand, are generally capable of delivering high bursts of power, but have a limited capacity and need to be recharged after use. By combining a fuel cell and a battery, a vehicle 10 may benefit from the high energy density and longer range of the fuel cell, while having the flexibility and quick response of the battery during acceleration or heavy load situations. To this end, the battery is generally configured to store energy provided by e.g. regenerative braking of the vehicle 10. The battery is further configured to provide additional power for the propulsion source 12 in situation where extra power is needed, such as heavy accelerations (overtaking of vehicles) or steep climbs (uphill road segments). To achieve a certain mission range, an electric vehicle 10 may be provided with an energy source 14 capable of storing a sufficient amount of energy, e.g. increasing the capacity of on-board batteries and fuel cells until the mission range is achieved. However, this straightforward approach will compromise cost and weight of the vehicle 10. In, for instance, an FCEV 10, if the extra power available from a battery is used for a duration of an extended tough climb, this may lead to the battery being drained and thereby leaving only the fuel cell as the power source. This will cause the vehicle to enter a reduced power mode, commonly known as limp-mode. Increasing a battery size may reduce this issue. However, as mentioned, the added cost and weight of the battery together with packaging constraints will limit the feasible battery size.

[58] The inventors behind the present invention have realized, through inventive process and thinking outside the box in challenge of existing technical prejudice, that there is a need to efficiently use the energy stored in the battery in close coordination with the available fuel cell power.

[59] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the FCEV 10 is capable of providing high torque Tem for a wide range of RPM and whilst the ICE vehicle only provide high torque at comparably low RPM. By limiting the torque Tem available in an FCEV 10 to that of a corresponding ICE vehicle, the energy requirement of the FCEV 10 will decrease such that the fuel cell may be sufficient to provide the a requested torque. Not only does this approach reduce the instantaneous energy requirement of the FCEV 10, it will also allow the FCEV 10 to follow a traffic flow of ICE vehicles.

[60] An ICE vehicle and a BEV 10 deliver different power due to differences in their respective torque/power curve characteristics (FIG. 2 and FIG. 3). For a hybrid vehicle operable in either an electrical mode or in a ICE mode, power output at the electrical mode is higher than power output at the ICE mode. As a result, driving in electrical mode consumes more energy than driving in the corresponding ICE mode. Since it consumes less power, the vehicle speed at the ICE mode is lower than the vehicle speed when operating the electrical mode. This have been confirmed by simulation of two vehicles identical in every part except their respective propulsion sources and energy sources, one vehicle was an electrically propelled vehicle, and the other was a vehicle propelled by an ICE. The simulation subjected both vehicles to the same route and the electrically propelled vehicle achieved a higher average speed throughout the route. By rerunning the simulation and controlling the speed of the electrically propelled vehicle to match the speed of the ICE vehicle, the energy consumption of the electrically propelled vehicle was significantly decreased.

[61] With reference to FIG. 4, a schematic view of the computer system 100, an example of some features of the present disclosure will be given. The computer system 100 is associated with, i.e. comprised in or operatively connected to an electrical vehicle 10. As seen in FIG. 4, the computer system 100, or rather the processing circuitry 110 of the computer system 100 is configured to obtain, or configured to cause obtaining of, current driving conditions 220 of the vehicle 10. The current driving conditions 220 will be further explained in coming section, but may comprise a current state of charge of the energy source 14 of the vehicle 10. The processing circuitry 110 is further configured to obtain, or configured to cause obtaining of, a torque demand 210. The torque demand 210 indicates a torque value that is wanted from the electrical propulsion source 12, i.e. a wanted torque value. To exemplify, if the accelerator pedal is depressed, this indicates an increase in torque demand 210 and, if for instance, a downhill road segment is entered whilst running on cruise control, this generally leads to a decrease in torque demand 210. The torque demand 210 may be any suitable value or indicator suitable for indicating, directly or indirectly, the wanted torque value. The processing circuitry 110 is further configured to estimate, or configured to cause estimation of, a combustion engine torque response 235, or ICE torque 235 for short, to the torque demand 210. That is to say, if an ICE of a vehicle corresponding to the vehicle 10, when operating under corresponding driving conditions 220, was subjected to the torque demand 215, what would be the resulting torque response 235 provided to the wheels of the ICE vehicle? This will be further explained in coming sections. The processing circuitry 110 is further configured to control, or configured to cause control of, a torque response 245 of the vehicle 10 based either directly based on the wanted torque value indicated by the torque demand 215, or to a limited value based on the combustion engine torque response 235 or the wanted torque value indicated by the torque demand 215. The selection of which control methodology that will be utilized generally depend on the driving conditions 200 and will be further explained in the following. [62] In FIG. 5, an exemplary block diagram of a software architecture of a torque manager 200 is shown. The functions, features and examples described with reference to the torque manager 200 are advantageously implemented and provided by the computer system 100 presented herein but may very well be considered functions, features or examples of a (computer implemented) method. The torque manager 200 is configured to control a control a torque provided by an electrical motor 12 of a vehicle 10. Advantageously, the vehicle 10 is a FCEV 10.

[63] The torque manager 200 is configured to obtain the previously mentioned torque demand 210. The torque demand 210 indicates a wanted torque value 215 of the vehicle 10. As mentioned, the torque demand 210 may be any suitable value or indicator suitable for indicating, directly or indirectly, the wanted torque value. The torque demand 210 may be obtained from a user input, e.g. an accelerator, of the vehicle 10. Additionally, or alternatively, the torque demand 210 may be obtained from cruise control circuitry of the vehicle 10. In some examples, the wanted torque value 215 is an absolute torque value that is wanted from the electrical motor 12. In some examples, the wanted torque value 215 is a wanted RPM of the electrical motor 12 that may be translated to a torque value by means of e.g. graphs corresponding to the exemplary graph in FIG. 2. A general prior art vehicle, would control the torque of the vehicle directly based on the torque demand 210.

[64] The torque manager 200 in FIG. 5 is further configured to obtain the previously mentioned driving conditions 220. The driving conditions 220 comprise any condition or operational parameter that may affect a torque response of any vehicle, not only the present vehicle 10 of the torque manager 200. The driving conditions 220 may comprise energy storage data 222. The energy storage data 222 may comprise indications of a current state of charge of energy sources 14 of the vehicle 10. The energy storage data 222 may comprise indications of a current state of health of energy sources 14 of the vehicle 10. If, for instance, the state of charge of the battery of an FCEV 10 is low, allowing the vehicle 10 to provide an increased torque for an extended period of time, i.e. a torque exceeding what the fuel cell may provide, may increase a risk of limping. Similarly, if the state of health of the battery is poor, this may cause the internal resistance of the battery to increase, or the voltage to drop when the battery is loaded. This may decreasing an ability of the battery to provide comparably high currents, limiting a maximum torque that may be provided by the electrical motor 12 when powered by a battery with poor state of health. [65] The driving conditions 220 may comprise speed data 223. The speed data 223 may comprise an indication a current speed of the vehicle 10. The speed data 223 may comprise an indication of a speed limit of a current road segment. The speed data 223 may comprise an indication of a speed limit of an upcoming road segment. The faster the vehicle 10 is traveling, the more energy will be required to maintain the speed of the vehicle 10. If the speed of the vehicle differs from the speed limit of the current road or upcoming road segment, this may indicate that an acceleration, or deceleration is to be expected. If an acceleration is to be expected, in case of an FCEV 10, energy is likely required from the battery. If a deceleration is to be expected, energy is likely to be provided to the battery by regenerative braking. All this may be considered to reduce a risk of limping.

[66] The driving conditions 220 may comprise weight data 224. The weight data 224 may comprise an indication of a weight or mass of the vehicle 10 and/or a load of the vehicle 10. The weight of a vehicle 10 will affect an amount of torque required to accelerate, or maintain, a speed of a vehicle. It will require more energy to accelerate a heavy fully loaded vehicle compared to an empty comparably light vehicle. Further, a heavier vehicle will have a higher momentum than a lighter vehicle when travelling at the same speed, this implies that when decelerating the heavier vehicle, more energy may be provided to the battery by regenerative braking.

[67] The driving conditions 220 may comprise road data 225. The road data 225 may comprise an indication of an inclination of a road the vehicle 10 is currently traveling along. If the inclination data indicate an uphill slope of the road, a higher torque, i.e. more energy, will be required to maintain, or accelerate the vehicle 10. The road data 223 may further comprise a length, e.g. remaining distance, of a current, or upcoming road inclination. This makes it possible to determine a required energy to e.g. maintain a current speed of the vehicle 10.

[68] The driving conditions 220 may comprise eco operation data 226. The eco operation data 226 may comprise an indication of a current eco operational mode of the vehicle 10. The eco operation data 226 may for instance indicate that eco-driving is disabled, that eco-driving is at a low level, that eco-driving is at a medium level or that eco-driving is at a high level. The level of eco-driving may be utilized to determine to what extent the torque manager 200 should try to save energy consumption.

[69] The torque manager 200 in FIG. 5 further comprises an ICE torque estimator 230. The ICE torque estimator 230 is configured to determine an ICE torque response 235, or combustion engine torque response 235 based on the torque demand 210 and the driving conditions 220. To this end, the ICE torque estimator 230 may comprise a ICE model 233 (one or more preconfigured torque responses 233) utilized to determine the combustion engine torque response 235 based on the driving conditions 220. For instance, the ICE torque estimator 230 may be configured to identify/determine, among the ICE models 233, an equivalent or sufficiently similar ICE torque curve and optionally an appropriate transmission and rear axis ratio (RAR), specification. Advantageously, an ICE model 233 having substantially the same power rating, or a lower power rating, than a power rating of the vehicle 10. Assuming that the driving conditions 220 comprise speed data 223, the speed data 223 and the torque demand 210 may be provided to the selected ICE model 233 in order to determine the combustion engine torque response 235. The details of the ICE torque estimator 230 will be further described in coming sections.

[70] The torque manager 200 in FIG. 5 further comprises a torque controller 240. The torque controller 240 is configured to control, or cause control of an electrical motor (EM) torque 245 of the vehicle. The torque controller 240 is configured to selectively control the EM torque 245 to either the ICE torque response 235 or to the torque demand 210. The selection of which torque to apply depends on the driving conditions 220. To exemplify, if the eco operation data 226 indicate that no eco driving is disabled, this may cause the torque controller 240 to control the EM torque 245 according to the torque demand 210. If the eco operation data 226 indicate eco-driving at a highest level, this may cause the torque controller 240 to control the EM torque 245 according to the ICE torque response 235. If the eco operation data 226 indicate eco-driving at a middle level, this may cause the torque controller 240 to control the EM torque 245 to a middle value, or otherwise weighted average of the ICE torque response 235 and the wanted torque value 215.

[71] In some examples, wherein the driving conditions 220 comprises energy storage data 222 indicating a state of charge of the energy source 14, the torque controller 240 may be configured control the EM torque 245 based on the ICE torque response 235 if the state of charge of the energy source 14 is below a threshold. This will reduce a risk of limping when the energy source 14 is low. If the state of charge of energy source 14 is below the threshold, the torque controller 240 may be configured to override the eco operation data 226 and control the EM torque 245 based on the ICE torque response 235 regardless of the eco operation data 226. [72] In some examples, wherein the driving conditions 220 comprises speed data 223 indicating a current speed of the vehicle 10, the torque controller 240 may be configured control the EM torque 245 based on the ICE torque response 235 if the speed data 223 indicate a current speed that is above a speed threshold. As higher speeds consume more power, instantaneous power consumption, and thereby energy consumption, from acceleration, or climbing a hill, may be significantly decreased if the EM torque 245 is controlled based on the ICE torque response 235 rather than the wanted torque value 215. Additionally, or alternatively, the torque controller 240 may be configured control the EM torque 245 based on the wanted torque value 215 if the speed data 223 indicate a current speed that is below a second speed threshold being lower than the speed threshold.

[73] In some examples, wherein the driving conditions 220 comprises weight data 224 indicating a weight or a mass of the vehicle 10, the torque controller 240 may be configured control the EM torque 245 based on the ICE torque response 235 if the weight data 224 indicates a weight being above a weight threshold. Accelerating, or driving a heavy vehicle with maintained speed at an uphill road segment, will require significantly more power than allowing the speed to temporarily drop or accelerate more slowly as will be the effect of controlling the EM torque 245 based on the ICE torque response 235. Additionally, or alternatively, the torque controller 240 may be configured control the EM torque 245 based on the wanted torque value 215 if the weight data 224 indicate a weight that is below a second weight threshold that is lower than the weight threshold.

[74] In some examples, wherein the driving conditions 220 comprises road data 225 indicating at least an inclination and a length of an upcoming road segment, the torque controller 240 may be configured control the EM torque 245 based on the ICE torque response 235 if the inclination and a length of the upcoming road segment is above an uphill threshold. The uphill threshold may be a configurable threshold that is determined based on other driving conditions 220, such as the energy storage data 222 and the speed data 223. In other words, the uphill threshold may be set based on a current speed and a current state of charge of the vehicle 10. This means that, depending on a state of charge of an energy source 14 of the vehicle 10, the same uphill road segment may be traversed with the EM torque 245 to the ICE torque response 235 or the wanted torque value 215. If there is a risk of limp during the climb of the uphill road segment, the EM torque 245 will be controlled based on the ICE torque response 235. [75] In the following, an exemplary implementation of the ICE torque estimator 230 will be given. In FIG. 6A, a block diagram of the ICE torque estimator 230 is shown. The ICE torque estimator 230 comprises an ICE model 233 configured to model a drivetrain of an ICE. The ICE is connected to a transmission by a propeller shaft and torque is transferred from the ICE to the transmission and further from the transmission to the wheels via a drive shaft. In order to model the torque response 235 of an ICE with full accuracy, the ICE model is required to have detail models of all parts of the drivetrain. However, it should be mentioned already now, that simple models with lookup tables, linear approximations or equations may very well suffice when providing the torque response 235.

[76] In the following, a specific example of the ICE torque estimator 230 will be presented. The ICE torque estimator is associated with a BEV 10 provided with an electrical propulsion source 12 rated at 425 hp. The ICE torque estimator 230 obtains driving conditions 220 comprising speed data 223 indicating a speed of the vehicle 10 and the torque demand 210. In FIG. 6B, an exemplary first partial ICE model 233a is shown in the form of a table listing an exemplary engine power curve of an equivalent 425 hp, 13 1 turbo compound ICE. In addition, in FIG. 6C, an exemplary second partial ICE model 233b is shown in the form of a table listing an exemplary transmission model of a 12-speed transmission with the gear ratio, and efficiencies. It should be mentioned that there may be different transmission models. The transmission model in FIG. 6C uses axle efficiency, splash, and drag coefficients for calculating the transmission losses. In the following, a RAR of 2,64 is used.

[77] Assume that the speed data 223 indicate a current speed of the vehicle 10 to be 20 km/h. Further assume that the vehicle load is 35 tons, the road data 225 indicate a road inclination of 3%. The vehicle speed is increasing from 20 km/h to 90 km/h. As the speed increases, the gear up shifts until the maximum power is achieved. At a given vehicle speed, the requested Power i

requested power estimate, i.e. the torque demand 210, may be provided by the computer system 100, advantageously by processing circuitry 110 of the computer system 110 in the form of a vehicle ECU. Using the vehicle speed and the P_totai above, a propeller speed in rpm and a propeller torque may be calculated. Generally, the calculation will require a vehicle wheel radius and the RAR. A current gear may be determined as a minimum gear ratio for which the engine speed will remain above a certain threshold RPM. For the current transmission setting and the torque curve in this example, the threshold RPM is set to 1000 RPM. The lower the RPM threshold, the more the engine runs in a lower RPM range; thus, reducing fuel consumption. As the skilled person is well aware, for a specific gear, only a certain minimum or maximum power may be achieved. To simulate and illustrate the impact of such a strategy, a simple vehicle model is assumed with the following parameters, front area of vehicle 97 m², coefficient of drag 0.53 and rolling resistance 46 N/ton. The wanted vehicle speed (90 km/h) is never achieved by the ICE. The maximum speed achieved by the ICE is 70 km/h which is provided when the ICE is operated at the 11th gear with a power output, an ICE torque response 235, of 266 kW. A power output of the BEV 10 will be 325 kW (FIG. 2) and the vehicle speed will be 83 km/h. In other words, the EM torque 245 of the BEV 10 is advantageously controlled to match the ICE torque response 235 which will allow the BEV 10 to follow a flow of traffic and still save on energy.

[78] The above exemplary determining of the ICE torque response 235 is but one example. As mentioned, simpler ICE models 233 may comprise simple RPM to torque conversions or even more simulation models taking combinations, of all of the driving conditions 220 into consideration when estimating the torque response 235.

[79] The teachings presented herein may, as previously mentioned, be implemented as the torque manager 200, form part of the computer system 100 or, as seen in FIG. 7, be implemented as a method 300. The method 300 of FIG. 7 will be briefly described in the following, but it should be mentioned that the method 300 is to be consider comprising all features, examples and functions presented herein. The method 300 is advantageously a computer implemented method. Correspondingly, the computer system 100 and/or the torque manager is to be consider comprising all features, examples and functions described in reference to the method 300. The processing circuit 110 of the computer system 100 may be configured to perform, or configured to cause performing of, the method 300. The method 300 is advantageously associated with a vehicle 10 propelled by an electrical propulsion source 12.

[80] The method 300 comprises obtaining 310 current driving conditions 220 of the vehicle 10. The driving conditions 220 may be any driving conditions 220 presented herein and specifically those exemplified with reference to FIG. 4 or FIG. 5. The driving conditions 220 may be obtained from any suitable source such as sensor circuitry 16 of the vehicle 10 and/or via the communications circuitry 18 of the vehicle 10. [81] The method 300 further comprises obtaining 320 the torque demand 210. As previously mentioned, the torque demand 210 is advantageously indicative of a wanted torque value 215 to be provided by the electrical propulsion source 12 of the vehicle 10. The torque demand 210 may, as previously mentioned, be provided from any suitable source such as an accelerator or other user input device of the vehicle 10 and/or a cruise controller of the vehicle 10.

[82] The method 300 further comprises estimating 330 the combustion engine torque response 235 to the torque demand 210 at the current driving conditions 220. This is advantageously achieved according to any of the details previously presented, specifically in reference to any one of FIG. 2 to FIG. 6C.

[83] The method 300 further comprises controlling 340, selectively based on the combustion engine torque response 235, the electrical propulsion source 12 to provide the wanted torque value 215. This is advantageously achieved according to any of the details previously presented, specifically in reference to any one of FIG. 2 to FIG. 6C.

[84] As with all other features, functions and examples presented herein, the method 300 may be performed in any suitable order.

[85] In FIG. 8 a computer program product 400 is shown. The computer program product 400 comprises a computer program 600 and a non-transitory computer readable medium 500. The computer program 600 is advantageously stored on the computer readable medium 500. The computer readable medium 500 is, in FIG. 8, exemplified as a vintage 5,25” floppy disc, but may be embodied as any suitable non-transitory computer readable medium such as, but not limited to, hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), optical discs (e g., CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-RW), USB flash drives, magnetic tapes, memory cards, Read-Only Memories (ROM), network-attached storage (NAS), cloud storage etc.

[86] The computer program 600 comprises instruction 610 e.g. program instruction, software code, that, when executed by processing circuitry cause the processing circuitry to perform the method 300 described herein with reference to FIG. 7.

[87] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a computer system 700 for implementing examples disclosed herein. The computer system 700 of FIG. 9 may be exemplary implementation of the computer system 100 introduced with reference to FIG. 1A. The computer system 700 is adapted to execute instructions from a computer-readable medium to perform these and/or any of the functions or processing described herein. The computer system 700 may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a LAN, an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. While only a single device is illustrated, the computer system 700 may include any collection of devices that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. Accordingly, any reference in the disclosure and/or claims to a computer system, computing system, computer device, computing device, control system, control unit, electronic control unit (ECU), processor device, processing circuitry, etc., includes reference to one or more such devices to individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. For example, control system may include a single control unit or a plurality of control units connected or otherwise communicatively coupled to each other, such that any performed function may be distributed between the control units as desired. Further, such devices may communicate with each other or other devices by various system architectures, such as directly or via a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, etc.

[88] The computer system 700 may comprise at least one computing device or electronic device capable of including firmware, hardware, and/or executing software instructions to implement the functionality described herein. The computer system 700 may include processing circuitry 702 (e.g., processing circuitry including one or more processor devices or control units), a memory 704, and a system bus 706. The processing circuitry 702 of FIG. 9 may be exemplary implementation of the processing circuitry 110 introduced with reference to FIG. IB. The memory 704 of FIG. 9 may be exemplary implementation of the storage device 120 introduced with reference to FIG. IB. The computer system 700 may include at least one computing device having the processing circuitry 702. The system bus 706 provides an interface for system components including, but not limited to, the memory 704 and the processing circuitry 702. The processing circuitry 702 may include any number of hardware components for conducting data or signal processing or for executing computer code stored in memory 704. The processing circuitry 702 may, for example, include a general-purpose processor, an application specific processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a circuit containing processing components, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The processing circuitry 702 may further include computer executable code that controls operation of the programmable device.

[89] The system bus 706 may be any of several types of bus structures that may further interconnect to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and/or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The memory 704 may be one or more devices for storing data and/or computer code for completing or facilitating methods described herein. The memory 704 may include database components, object code components, script components, or other types of information structure for supporting the various activities herein. Any distributed or local memory device may be utilized with the systems and methods of this description. The memory 704 may be communicably connected to the processing circuitry 702 (e.g., via a circuit or any other wired, wireless, or network connection) and may include computer code for executing one or more processes described herein. The memory 704 may include non-volatile memory 708 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.), and volatile memory 710 (e.g., randomaccess memory (RAM)), or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a computer or other machine with processing circuitry 702. A basic input/output system (BIOS) 712 may be stored in the non-volatile memory 708 and can include the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system 700.

[90] The computer system 700 may further include or be coupled to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as the storage device 714, which may comprise, for example, an internal or external hard disk drive (HDD) (e.g., enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA)), HDD (e.g., EIDE or SATA) for storage, flash memory, or the like. The storage device 714 and other drives associated with computer-readable media and computer-usable media may provide nonvolatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, and the like.

[91] Computer-code which is hard or soft coded may be provided in the form of one or more modules. The module(s) can be implemented as software and/or hard-coded in circuitry to implement the functionality described herein in whole or in part. The modules may be stored in the storage device 714 and/or in the volatile memory 710, which may include an operating system 716 and/or one or more program modules 718. All or a portion of the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as a computer program 720 stored on a transitory or non-transitory computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium (e.g., single medium or multiple media), such as the storage device 714, which includes complex programming instructions (e.g., complex computer-readable program code) to cause the processing circuitry 702 to carry out actions described herein. Thus, the computer-readable program code of the computer program 720 can comprise software instructions for implementing the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by the processing circuitry 702. In some examples, the storage device 714 may be a computer program product (e.g., readable storage medium) storing the computer program 720 thereon, where at least a portion of a computer program 720 may be loadable (e.g., into a processor) for implementing the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by the processing circuitry 702. The processing circuitry 702 may serve as a controller or control system for the computer system 700 that is to implement the functionality described herein.

[92] The computer system 700 may include an input device interface 722 configured to receive input and selections to be communicated to the computer system 700 when executing instructions, such as from a keyboard, mouse, touch-sensitive surface, etc. Such input devices may be connected to the processing circuitry 702 through the input device interface 722 coupled to the system bus 706 but can be connected through other interfaces, such as a parallel port, an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 1394 serial port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, an IR interface, and the like. The computer system 700 may include an output device interface 724 configured to forward output, such as to a display, a video display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 700 may include a communications interface 726 suitable for communicating with a network as appropriate or desired.

[93] The operational actions described in any of the exemplary aspects herein are described to provide examples and discussion. The actions may be performed by hardware components, may be embodied in machine-executable instructions to cause a processor to perform the actions, or may be performed by a combination of hardware and software. Although a specific order of method actions may be shown or described, the order of the actions may differ. In addition, two or more actions may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence.

[94] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," and/or "including" when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[95] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[96] Relative terms such as "below" or "above" or "upper" or "lower" or "horizontal" or "vertical" may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element to another element as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements present.

[97] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[98] It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present disclosure and appended claims. In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed aspects for purposes of illustration only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the disclosure being set forth in the following claims.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is:

1. A computer system (100) comprising processing circuitry (110) configured to: obtain current driving conditions (220) of a vehicle (10) propelled by an electrical propulsion source (12), obtain a torque demand (210) indicating a wanted torque value (215) to be provided by the electrical propulsion source (12), estimate a combustion engine torque response (235) to the torque demand (210) at the current driving conditions (220), and control, selectively based on the combustion engine torque response (235), the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215).

2. The computer system (100) of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: selectively control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235), based on the current driving conditions (220).

3. The computer system (100) of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: obtain current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current state of charge of a propulsion battery of the vehicle (10), and in response to the current state of charge of a propulsion battery of the vehicle (10) being below a state of charge threshold, control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235).

4. The computer system (100) of claim 2 or 3, wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: obtain current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current weight of the vehicle (10), and in response to the current weight of the vehicle (10) being above a weight threshold, control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235).

5. The computer system (100) of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: obtain current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current speed of the vehicle (10), and in response to the current speed of the vehicle (10) being above a speed threshold, control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235).

6. The computer system (100) of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: obtain current driving conditions (220) indicating at least an inclination and a length of an upcoming road segment, and in response to the inclination and length of the upcoming road segment being above an uphill threshold, control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235).

7. The computer system (100) of any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: obtain current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current state of an eco- propulsion mode selector of the vehicle (10), and in response to the state of the eco-propulsion mode selector of the vehicle (10) indicating an eco-friendly propulsion mode, control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235).

8. The computer system (100) of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: obtain the current driving conditions (220) from one or more sensor circuitry of the vehicle (10).

9. The computer system (100) of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: estimate the combustion engine torque response (235) by simulating a torque response provided by a drivetrain comprising a combustion engine operating at driving conditions corresponding to the current driving conditions (220).

10. The computer system (100) of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: estimate the combustion engine torque response (235) by selecting a torque response from a set of preconfigured torque responses (233) mapping combustion engine torque responses (235) to specific driving conditions.

11. The computer system (100) of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: obtain the torque demand (210) from cruise control circuitry of the vehicle (10).

12. The computer system (100) of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to: obtain the torque demand (210) from an operator controlled input of the vehicle (10).

13. The computer system (100) of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry (110) is further configured to selectively control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235), based on the current driving conditions (220); obtain current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current state of charge of a propulsion battery of the vehicle (10), and in response to the current state of charge of a propulsion battery of the vehicle (10) being below a state of charge threshold, control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235); obtain current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current weight of the vehicle (10), and in response to the current weight of the vehicle (10) being above a weight threshold, control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235); obtain current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current speed of the vehicle (10), and in response to the current speed of the vehicle (10) being above a speed threshold, control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235); obtain current driving conditions (220) indicating at least an inclination and a length of an upcoming road segment, and in response to the inclination and length of the upcoming road segment being above an uphill threshold, control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235); obtain current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current state of an eco-propulsion mode selector of the vehicle (10), and in response to the state of the eco-propulsion mode selector of the vehicle (10) indicating an eco-friendly propulsion mode, control the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235); obtain the current driving conditions (220) from one or more sensor circuitry of the vehicle (10); estimate the combustion engine torque response (235) by simulating a torque response provided by a drivetrain comprising a combustion engine operating at driving conditions corresponding to the current driving conditions (220) or estimate the combustion engine torque response (235) by selecting a torque response from a set of preconfigured torque responses (233) mapping combustion engine torque responses (235) to specific driving conditions; obtain the torque demand (210) from cruise control circuitry of the vehicle (10) or obtain the torque demand (210) from an operator controlled input of the vehicle (10).

14. A vehicle (10) comprising an electric propulsion source (12) and the computer system (100) of any of claims 1 to 13.

15. The vehicle (10) of claim 14 further comprising a fuel cell propulsion source (12).

16. The vehicle (10) of claim 14 or 15, wherein the vehicle (10) is a heavy-duty vehicle.

17. A computer implemented method (300), comprising: obtaining (310), by processing circuitry (110) of a computer system (100), current driving conditions (220) of a vehicle (10) propelled by an electrical propulsion source (12), obtaining (320), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), a torque demand (210) indicating a wanted torque value (215) to be provided by the electrical propulsion source (12), estimating (330), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), a combustion engine torque response (235) to the torque demand (210) at the current driving conditions (220), and controlling (340), selectively based on the combustion engine torque response (235), the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215).

18. The computer implemented method (300) of claim 17, further comprising: selectively controlling (340), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235), based on the current driving conditions (220).

19. The computer implemented method (300) claim 18, further comprising: obtaining (310), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current state of charge of a propulsion battery of the vehicle (10), and in response to the current inclination of the vehicle (10) being below a state of charge threshold, controlling (340), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235).

20. The computer implemented method (300) of claim 18 or 19, further comprising: obtaining (310), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current weight of the vehicle (10), and in response to the current weight of the vehicle (10) being above a weight threshold, controlling (340), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235).

21. The computer implemented method (300) of any one of claims 18 to 20, further comprising: obtaining (310), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current speed of the vehicle (10), and in response to the current speed being above a speed threshold, controlling (340), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235).

22. The computer implemented method (300) of any one of claims 18 to 21, further comprising: obtaining (310), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), current driving conditions (220) indicating at least an inclination and a length of an upcoming road segment, and in response to the inclination and length of the upcoming road segment being above an uphill threshold, controlling (340), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235).

23. The computer implemented method (300) of any one of claims 18 to 22, further comprising: obtaining (310), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), current driving conditions (220) indicating at least a current state of an eco- propulsion mode selector, and in response to the state of an eco-propulsion mode selector indicating an eco-friendly propulsion mode, controlling (340), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), the electrical propulsion source (12) to provide the wanted torque value (215) based on the combustion engine torque response (235).

24. The computer implemented method (300) of any one of claims 18 to 23, further comprising: obtaining (310), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), the current driving conditions (220) from one or more sensor circuitry of the vehicle (10).

25. The computer implemented method (300) of any one of claims 17 to 24, further comprising: estimating (330) the combustion engine torque response (235) by simulating, by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), a torque response provided by a drivetrain operating at driving conditions corresponding to the current driving conditions (220).

26. The computer implemented method (300) of any one of claims 17 to 24, further comprising: estimating (330) the combustion engine torque response (235) by selecting, by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), a torque response from a set of preconfigured torque responses (233) mapping combustion engine torque responses (235) to specific driving conditions.

27. The computer implemented method (300) of any one of claims 17 to 26, further comprising: obtaining (320), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), the torque demand (210) from cruise control circuitry of the vehicle (10).

28. The computer implemented method (300) of any one of claims 17 to 26, further comprising: obtaining (320), by the processing circuitry (110) of the computer system (100), the torque demand (210) from an operator controlled input of the vehicle (10).

29. A computer program product (400) comprising program code (610) for performing, when executed by a processing circuitry (110), the computer implemented method (300) of any of claims 17 to 28.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (500) comprising instructions (610), which when executed by a processing circuitry (110), cause the processing circuitry (110) to perform the computer implemented method (300) of any of claims 17 to 28.