Abstract: A motor vehicle comprising at least one pair of wheels aligned to each other and placed on respective opposite sides of the motor vehicle, control means configured to adjust at least one control variable corresponding to an operative state of the wheels, and a steering wheel to steer the motor vehicle, characterized in that the control means comprise a control device arranged on the steering wheel and coupled to the steering wheel in a movable manner relative to the steering wheel to be manipulable by a driver of the motor vehicle to command an adjustment of the one or more control variables.

Abstract: A method to control an active shock absorber of a road vehicle. The active shock absorber is part of a suspension connecting a frame of the road vehicle to a hub of a wheel and has: a first element, which defines an end of the active shock absorber, a second element, which defines another end of the active shock absorber and is mounted so as to slide relative to the first element; and an actuator, which is configured to generate a force, which is applied between the two elements. The control method comprises the steps of: determining a vertical acceleration of the hub; determining a speed of translation between the two elements of the active shock absorber; determining a target force for the actuator of the active shock absorber based on the vertical acceleration of the hub and based on the speed of translation between the two elements of the active shock absorber; and controlling the actuator (10) of the active shock absorber so as to pursue the target force.

Abstract: A control method for an electrically driven road vehicle comprising the steps of: providing an electric powertrain system; determining a plurality of first virtual gears for a boost configuration and/or a plurality of second virtual gears for a release configuration; detecting, following actuation of an interface system by the driver, while driving, a first selection for one of the first virtual gears and/or a second selection for one of the second virtual gears; and delivering, in the boost configuration, a drive torque to the at least two wheels as a function of the first selection; or delivering, in the release configuration, an anti-motive torque to the at least two wheels according to the second selection.

Abstract: A method to control, while driving along a curve, a road vehicle with a variable stiffness and with rear steering wheels. The method comprises the steps of: determining an actual attitude angle of the road vehicle; establishing a desired attitude angle; determining an actual yaw rate of the road vehicle; establishing a desired yaw rate; and changing, in a simultaneous and coordinated manner, the steering angle of the rear wheels and the distribution of the stiffness of the connection of the four wheels to the frame depending on a difference between the actual attitude angle and the desired attitude angle and depending on a difference between the actual yaw rate and the desired yaw rate.

Abstract: A method for determining an optimized torque distribution to the wheels of a road vehicle comprising the steps of determining a table of distribution of the torque between a front axle and a rear axle; determining a second table and a third table of distribution of the torque between a right wheel and a left wheel of the rear axle and of the front axle, respectively; detecting the current longitudinal dynamics; using the first, the second and the third table to determine a current value of the first, of the second and of the third distribution factor, respectively, based on the current longitudinal speed and on the current longitudinal acceleration of the road vehicle.

Abstract: Apparatus for estimating a grip factor of at least one wheel comprising: a control unit configured to process a current slip angle of said wheel; a storage unit, within which, in a consultation table, a plurality of grip curves correlating a plurality of values of a steering parameter comprising the rack force with a plurality of values of the slip angle are recorded; along a same curve, the value of the grip factor remains unchanged; wherein the control unit is configured to cyclically estimate at least one raw value of the grip factor of said at least one wheel based on the position of a current condition within the consultation table, as a function of the current slip angle and of the current rack force.

Abstract: A method for the performance-enhancing driver assistance of a road vehicle driven by a driver and provided with at least two drive wheels driven by at least one electric motor connected to a corresponding vehicular battery pack; the method comprises the steps of defining a dynamic model of the road vehicle; determining a route of a track travelled by the road vehicle; calculating, as a function of the dynamic model of the road vehicle and of the route, a convenience index relative to the use of energy of the vehicular battery pack by the electric motor; subdividing the route (R) into a plurality of sectors assigning to each a relative value of the calculated convenience index; delivering electrical power to the drive wheels according to the value of the convenience index assigned to each sector of the route.

Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle driven by a driver and provided with at least a first drive wheel and a second driver wheel belonging to a same axle, each drive wheel being independently operated by a respective first and second electric motor; the control method comprises the step of controlling the torque delivered by each respective motor to the first drive wheel or to the second drive wheel as a function of a torque requested by the driver and independently of the difference in angular speed between the first and the second wheel.

Abstract: A method to control a road vehicle with rear steering wheels and having, while driving along a curve, the steps of: determining a desired steering angle for the rear wheels; comparing the desired steering angle with a threshold value; applying, while driving along a curve and if the desired steering angle is greater than the threshold value, to both rear wheels a same actual steering angle that is equal to the desired steering angle; and applying, while driving along a curve and if the desired steering angle is smaller than the threshold value, to a rear wheel on the outside of the curve an actual steering angle greater than the desired steering angle and applying to a rear wheel on the inside of the curve a zero actual steering angle.

Abstract: A method to control, while driving along a curve, a road vehicle with a variable stiffness and with rear steering wheels. The method comprises the steps of: determining an actual attitude angle of the road vehicle; establishing a desired attitude angle; determining an actual yaw rate of the road vehicle; establishing a desired yaw rate; and changing, in a simultaneous and coordinated manner, the steering angle of the rear wheels and the distribution of the stiffness of the connection of the four wheels to the frame depending on a difference between the actual attitude angle and the desired attitude angle and depending on a difference between the actual yaw rate and the desired yaw rate.