Patent ID: 8306682

Claim:
A system for establishing a transmission gear position in a series hybrid vehicle having a drive means coupled to a multi-gear transmission, comprising: a vehicle speed sensor; an accelerator pedal position sensor; a memory storage means for storing information regarding a plurality of shift schedules for the series hybrid vehicle, including at least a first shift schedule representing a first shift style preference and a second shift schedule representing a second shift style preference, wherein the first shift schedule provides that (i) upon initial acceleration from a stop, the lowest-numbered gear is selected, (ii) upshifting is based at least in part on accelerator pedal position, and (iii) upshifts are to the next-higher-numbered gear from the current gear number; and wherein the second shift schedule provides that (i) upon acceleration from a stop, the second to lowest-numbered gear is selected, (ii) upshifting is based at least in part on the accelerator pedal position, and (iii) upshifts are to a higher-numbered gear from the current gear number; means for driver selection of one of the said shift style preferences; and a shift controller for selecting between the first shift schedule and the second shift schedule based at least in part on the driver shift style preference selection.