Abstract: Methods, systems, and vehicles are provided that provide for thermal conditioning of a vehicle rechargeable energy storage system (RESS). A thermal conditioning system is coupled to the RESS, and is configured to thermally condition the RESS. A control system is coupled to the thermal conditioning system, and is configured to estimate an amount of time after which a temperature of the RESS will be outside a predetermined range and provide instructions to the thermal conditioning system to thermally condition the RESS after the amount of time.

Abstract: A method of operating a RESS thermal system in a vehicle having a coolant loop for directing a coolant through a RESS and a refrigerant loop configured to selectively cool the coolant flowing through a chiller in the coolant loop, including: determining a current target temperature range for the RESS based on a current vehicle operating mode and ambient temperature; determining a temperature of the RESS; determining if the temperature of the RESS needs to increase or decrease to be within the current target temperature range; if the determination is made that the temperature of the RESS needs to increase, determining if an active heating or a passive heating of the coolant will be employed, the active heating using a greater amount of energy over a shorter time period than the passive heating; and activating the determined active heating or passive heating of the coolant.

Abstract: A method for starting a hybrid vehicle when the vehicle is already connected to an external power source. In some hybrid vehicles, it can be undesirable for an external power source (e.g., an AC power outlet) and an internal power source (e.g., an internal combustion engine/generator) to simultaneously provide the vehicle with electrical energy. There are a variety of reasons why this may be true. For instance, some hybrid vehicles may have difficulty accurately estimating the state-of-charge (SOC) of the vehicle battery when both external and internal power sources are simultaneously providing electrical energy to the vehicle's high voltage bus. The method described herein can arbitrate or otherwise determine which power source is preferable for the circumstances and then activate or enable that power source accordingly.