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An electrical storage element control system for a vehicle. The control system includes electrical storage elements electrically coupled to each other in parallel, switch devices, and a controller. Each of the electrical storage elements defines a total storage capacity and having a state of charge

An electrical storage element control system for a vehicle. The control system includes electrical storage elements electrically coupled to each other in parallel, switch devices, and a controller. Each of the electrical storage elements defines a total storage capacity and having a state of charge cooperatively defining a total stored charge, and is adapted to be in electrical communication with an electrical load and a power source. The switch devices are electrically coupled to the electrical storage elements such that each switch device is associated with a corresponding electrical storage element and is operable between connected and disconnected states. The controller is in electrical communication with the switch devices to selectively vary each of the switch devices between the connected state and the disconnected state to connect and disconnect one or more of the electrical storage elements relative to the load based on the total stored charges and relative to the power source based on the total storage capacities of the electrical storage elements.

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1. An electrical control system for a vehicle having an electrical load defining a load draw, the control system comprising: a plurality of electrical storage elements electrically coupled to each other in parallel, each of the plurality of electrical storage elements defining a total storage capaci

1. An electrical control system for a vehicle having an electrical load defining a load draw, the control system comprising: a plurality of electrical storage elements electrically coupled to each other in parallel, each of the plurality of electrical storage elements defining a total storage capacity and having a state of charge cooperatively defining a total stored charge, each of the plurality of electrical storage elements further subject to an over-current condition and an under-current condition and adapted to be in electrical communication with the load and an alternator defining an alternator power capacity and having an alternator output voltage;a plurality of solid state switch devices electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical storage elements such that each switch device of the plurality of switch devices is associated with a corresponding electrical storage element and operable between a connected state and a disconnected state; anda controller in electrical communication with the plurality of switch devices to selectively vary each of the switch devices discretely between the connected state and the disconnected state to connect and disconnect one or more of the electrical storage elements relative to the load based on the total stored charges and relative to the alternator to regulate the alternator output voltage. 2. The control system of claim 1, wherein a first electrical storage element of the plurality of electrical storage elements has a first total stored charge that is different from the total stored charges of the remaining electrical storage elements. 3. The control system of claim 2, wherein a second electrical storage element of the plurality of electrical storage elements has a second total stored charge that is smaller than the first total stored charge such that when the first electrical storage element and the second electrical storage element are connected to either the load or the alternator, the first electrical storage element is connected for a longer time period. 4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical storage elements defines a bank of batteries, and wherein the bank of batteries is connectable in parallel relationship to an existing bank of batteries of the vehicle. 5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to selectively connect one or more of the plurality of electrical storage elements to the load to tailor the total stored charges of the selectively connected electrical storage elements to the load draw. 6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the total stored charges of the selectively connected electrical storage elements substantially correspond to the load draw. 7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to selectively connect one or more of the plurality of electrical storage elements to the alternator to tailor the total storage capacities of the selectively connected electrical storage elements to the alternator power capacity. 8. The control system of claim 7, wherein the total storage capacities of the selectively connected electrical storage elements substantially correspond to the alternator power capacity. 9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to selectively vary at least one of the switch devices to the disconnected state to disconnect the associated electrical storage element from the load when the total stored charge of the associated electrical storage element reaches a predetermined load threshold. 10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to disconnect the corresponding electrical storage element from the alternator when the total stored charge reaches a predetermined charge threshold. 11. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to selectively vary at least one of the switch devices to the connected state to connect the corresponding electrical storage element to the load when the load draw exceeds the total stored charges of any connected electrical storage elements by a predetermined load threshold. 12. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to selectively vary at least one of the switch devices to the connected state to connect the corresponding electrical storage element to the alternator in response to the alternator power capacity exceeding the total stored charge of any connected electrical storage elements by a predetermined charge threshold. 13. An electrical storage element control system for a vehicle having an electrical load defining a load draw, the control system comprising: a first electrical storage element defining a total storage capacity and having a state of charge cooperatively defining a first total stored charge and adapted to be in electrical communication with the load and an alternator defining an alternator power capacity and having an alternator output voltage, the first electrical storage element further subject to a first over-current condition and a first under-current condition;a second electrical storage element electrically coupled in parallel relationship to the first electrical storage element, the second electrical storage element defining a total storage capacity and having a state of charge cooperatively defining a second total stored charge and adapted to be in electrical communication with the load and the alternator, the second electrical storage element further subject to a second over-current condition and a second under-current condition;a first solid state switch device electrically coupled to the first electrical storage element, the first switch operable between a connected state for connecting the first electrical storage element to the load or the alternator and a disconnected state for disconnecting the first electrical storage element from the load or the alternator;a second solid state switch device electrically coupled to the second electrical storage element and operable between a connected state for connecting the second electrical storage element to the load or the alternator and a disconnected state for disconnecting the second storage element from the load or the alternator; anda controller in electrical communication with the first switch device and the second switch device and operable to selectively vary the first switch device and the second switch device discretely between the connected state and the disconnected state relative to the alternator to regulate the alternator output voltage, the controller also operable to selectively vary the first switch device and the second switch device discretely between the connected state and the disconnected state relative to the load based on the first total stored charge and the second total stored charge, and further based on the load draw. 14. The control system of claim 13, wherein the controller is operable to sequentially connect the first electrical storage element and the second electrical storage element to the load. 15. The control system of claim 13, wherein the controller is operable to sequentially connect the first electrical storage element and the second electrical storage element to the alternator. 16. The control system of claim 13, wherein the second total stored charge is different from the first total stored charge. 17. The control system of claim 13, wherein the first electrical storage element and the second electrical storage element are substantially simultaneously connected to the load in a discharge phase and the alternator in a charge phase. 18. The control system of claim 13, wherein the controller is operable to sequentially disconnect the first electrical storage element and the second electrical storage element from the load. 19. The control system of claim 13, wherein the controller is operable to sequentially disconnect the first electrical storage element and the second electrical storage element from the alternator. 20. A method of controlling electrical storage elements for a vehicle having an electrical load defining a load draw and an alternator defining an alternator power capacity and having an alternator output voltage, the method comprising: providing a plurality of electrical storage elements electrically coupled to each other in parallel, each of the plurality of electrical storage elements defining a total storage capacity and having a state of charge cooperatively defining a total stored charge, each of the plurality of electrical storage elements further subject to an over-current condition and an under-current condition;selectively discretely connecting and disconnecting at least one of the plurality of electrical storage elements relative to the load using a solid state switch based on the total stored charge of each of the selectively connected electrical storage elements and the load draw during a discharge phase of the electrical system; andselectively discretely connecting and disconnecting at least one of the plurality of electrical storage elements relative to the alternator using a solid state switch to regulate the alternator output voltage. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising tailoring the total stored charges of the selectively connected electrical storage elements to the load draw during the discharge phase; andtailoring the total storage capacities of the selectively connected electrical storage elements to the alternator power capacity during the charge phase. 22. The method of claim 20, further comprising selectively sequentially connecting and disconnecting at least some of the plurality of electrical storage elements relative to the load. 23. The method of claim 20, further comprising selectively sequentially connecting and disconnecting at least some of the plurality of electrical storage elements relative to the alternator. 24. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of electrical storage elements are a first plurality of electrical storage elements, further comprising providing a second plurality of electrical storage elements; andconnecting the second plurality of electrical storage elements in parallel with the first plurality of electrical storage elements. 25. A method of controlling an alternator output voltage of an alternator for an electrical storage element control system of a vehicle during a charge phase, the alternator defining an alternator power capacity, the method comprising: providing a plurality of electrical storage elements electrically coupled to each other in parallel, each of the plurality of electrical storage elements defining a total storage capacity and having a state of charge cooperatively defining a total stored charge;determining a state of the total stored charge of each of the plurality of electrical storage elements, the state including one of an over-current condition and an under-current condition of each of the plurality of electrical storage elements;selectively discretely connecting and disconnecting at least one of the plurality of electrical storage elements to the alternator using a solid state switch in response to one of the over-current condition and the under-current condition and the alternator power capacity,thereby regulating the alternator output voltage; andcharging at least one selectively connected electrical storage element. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining the state of the total stored charge of the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element below a charge threshold; anddecreasing the output of the alternator in response to the state of the total stored charge below the charge threshold to limit at least one of the current and the voltage into the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element. 27. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining the state of the total stored charge of the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element above a charge threshold; andincreasing the output of the alternator in response to the state of the total stored charge above the charge threshold to charge the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element without exceeding the power output of the alternator. 28. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining that the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element has reached a state of total stored charge indicative of a full state of charge; anddecreasing the output of the alternator to the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element. 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising disconnecting the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element from the alternator. 30. The method of claim 25, further comprising connecting at least two of the plurality of electrical storage elements having different total storage capacities to the alternator, and wherein charging the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element includes synchronizing the at least two of the plurality of electrical storage elements based on the respective total storage capacities. 31. A method of controlling an output of an alternator for an electrical storage element control system of a vehicle during a charge phase, the alternator defining an alternator power capacity, the method comprising: providing a plurality of electrical storage elements electrically coupled to each other in parallel, each of the plurality of electrical storage elements defining a total storage capacity and having a state of charge cooperatively defining a total stored charge;determining a state of the total stored charge of each of the plurality of electrical storage elements;selectively connecting at least one of the plurality of electrical storage elements to the alternator using a solid state switch based on the state of the total stored charge of the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element and the alternator power capacity;charging the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element;determining the state of the total stored charge of the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element below a charge threshold; anddecreasing the output of the alternator in response to the state of the total stored charge below the charge threshold to limit at least one of the current and the voltage into the at least one selectively connected electrical storage element.