A control device for a vehicle includes an electronic control unit configured to perform an automatic driving control, to determine whether there is a possibility that a start control of an engine and a gear shift control of an automatic transmission are concurrently executed in a future traveling under the automatic driving control, during execution of the automatic driving control, and to first execute one control of the start control of the engine and the gear shift control of the automatic transmission in the future traveling and execute the other control after the one control finishes, when the electronic control unit determines that there is the possibility that the start control of the engine and the gear shift control of the automatic transmission are concurrently executed in the future traveling under the automatic driving control.

Systems and methods described herein relate to managing the freshness of the fuel in a vehicle. One embodiment tracks a freshness level of the fuel in the vehicle as time passes; determines a fuel consumption plan based, at least in part, on a predetermined refueling schedule for the vehicle and the freshness level of the fuel in the vehicle; and activates an internal combustion engine of the vehicle automatically on one or more occasions in accordance with the fuel consumption plan to consume at least a portion of the fuel.

A system and method for controlling the operations of a vehicle in response to an analysis of the vehicle's status and performance compared to a set of external performance parameters. The vehicle may be operable to adjust its performance in response to the analysis in order to comply with the performance parameters. The vehicle may further be operable to prevent activation or continued operation of one or more components in response to the analysis.

A vehicle includes a controller programmed to activate a fuel savings feature upon satisfaction of transition conditions and inhibit the transition according to satisfaction of inhibit conditions. The controller is further programmed to accumulate data indicative of the inhibit conditions and a time associated with the conditions being satisfied over a drive cycle.

Methods and systems are provided for improving the operating range of an electric vehicle having an engine wherein waste heat generated during motor operation is transferred to pre-heat the engine. Engine starting is predicted based on the electrical torque demand of the vehicle relative to the actual and predicted electrical energy consumption of the electric vehicle. Prior to starting the engine to charge a battery of the motor, various engine components are pre-heated in an order that improves vehicle range while also optimizing fuel economy.

Methods and systems for improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of a vehicle with an electric motor, an engine, an energy storage device, and a controller are disclosed. The method includes obtaining current state information including a current hybrid control surface, and determining a target hybrid control surface for the vehicle based on the current state information.

Disclosed are a hybrid electric vehicle, which is capable of controlling engine starting in consideration of entry into a specific area, and method of controlling the same. A method of controlling engine starting of a hybrid vehicle includes determining whether catalyst heating is necessary, determining whether a current location corresponds to a specific area associated with exhaust emissions, determining whether a first mode driving is possible, when it is determined that the current position corresponds to the specific area and the catalyst heating is necessary, and performing the first mode driving when the first mode driving is determined to be possible, or a second mode driving when the first mode driving is determined to be impossible. Here, the first mode driving is performed by using an electric motor, and the second mode driving is performed by using at least an engine.

Controls for improved performance of a vehicle equipped with start-stop control logic are disclosed. Deviation from nominal engine start-stop control logic for the internal combustion engine occurs when a predetermined mission related type of stop event will occur or is occurring that is different from other stop event types that are controlled by the nominal engine start-stop control logic. At least one of a location and a payload associated with the mission related stop event type is provided as an input to the controller before the vehicle arrives at the stop event so that operating parameters of the vehicle are controlled accordingly.

Provided is a vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle that executes self-driving by which the vehicle is at least started and stopped without requiring an operation by a driver. With the vehicle control method, when an own vehicle enters an intersection while the self-driving is executed, it is determined whether or not there is another vehicle approaching the intersection in a lane that is opposite to or intersects with a lane in which the own vehicle travels based on how light from a headlamp of the another vehicle is seen, and the own vehicle is started or stopped based on a result of the determination.

A method for controlling a mild hybrid vehicle may include receiving, by a controller, navigation information; determining, by the controller, whether a road on which the mild hybrid vehicle travels is in a dangerous area based on the navigation information; and releasing, by the controller, an idle stop and go state in which fuel supply to an engine of the mild hybrid vehicle is interrupted and the engine is stopped when the mild hybrid vehicle is stopped when it is determined that the road on which the mild hybrid vehicle travels is in the dangerous area.