APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ELECTRIC MACHINE FOR A VEHICLE

Embodiments of the present invention provide an electric machine control system for a vehicle, the electric machine control system comprising one or more controllers, wherein the vehicle comprises an electric machine arranged to be selectively coupleable to provide torque to at least one wheel of an axle of the vehicle, the control system comprising input means to receive () a fault-derived coupling state request () signal and () at least one further coupling state request signal, wherein each coupling state request signal is indicative of a request for a coupling state of the electric machine to the at least one wheel of the axle, processing means arranged to determine () the coupling state of the electric machine to the at least one wheel of the axle in dependence on the fault-derived coupling state request signal () and the at least one further coupling state request signal, wherein the processing means is arranged to determine the coupling state of the electric machine in precedence on the fault-derived coupling state request signal over the at least one further coupling state request signal, and output means arranged to output () a coupling signal indicative of the determined coupling state to control coupling of the electric machine to the at least one wheel of the axle.