A vehicle control device controls a hybrid vehicle including: an internal combustion engine having an EGR device; an electric drive device that drives the vehicle and performs an engine-based power generation; a power storage device; and a travel route acquisition device. The vehicle include an EV drive mode and an HV drive mode. The vehicle control device is configured to: where the vehicle is started under a cold condition, calculate, based on the travel route information, an average vehicle driving power in a vehicle running section under a warm condition after the start; and limit the amount of power generated by the engine-based power generation in the cold condition to be smaller when the calculated average vehicle driving power is high than when it is low, and, during the HV drive mode after a transition to the warm condition, execute the engine-based power generation accompanied by the EGR.

A vehicle control device controls a hybrid vehicle including: an internal combustion engine having an EGR device; an electric drive device that drives the vehicle and performs an engine-based power generation; a power storage device; and a travel route acquisition device. The vehicle include an EV drive mode and an HV drive mode. The vehicle control device is configured to: where the vehicle is started under a cold condition, calculate, based on the travel route information, an average vehicle driving power in a vehicle running section under a warm condition after the start; and limit the amount of power generated by the engine-based power generation in the cold condition to be smaller when the calculated average vehicle driving power is high than when it is low, and, during the HV drive mode after a transition to the warm condition, execute the engine-based power generation accompanied by the EGR.

An apparatus of starting an engine for a hybrid vehicle may include an engine configured for generating power by combustion of a fuel; a starting motor configured for starting the engine; a hybrid starter-generator configured for starting the engine, selectively operating as a generator, and selectively operating as a torque auxiliary device of a drive motor; and a controller configured for selectively performing a first starting mode to start the engine using the hybrid starter-generator according to a coolant temperature, a second starting mode to start the engine using the starting motor, and a third starting mode to start the engine using the starting motor and the hybrid starter-generator according to the coolant temperature.

An apparatus of starting an engine for a hybrid vehicle may include an engine configured for generating power by combustion of a fuel; a starting motor configured for starting the engine; a hybrid starter-generator configured for starting the engine, selectively operating as a generator, and selectively operating as a torque auxiliary device of a drive motor; and a controller configured for selectively performing a first starting mode to start the engine using the hybrid starter-generator according to a coolant temperature, a second starting mode to start the engine using the starting motor, and a third starting mode to start the engine using the starting motor and the hybrid starter-generator according to the coolant temperature.

Disclosed are a hybrid electric vehicle and an engine control method therefor that are capable of reducing entry of an engine into a full-load drive mode. The method includes determining whether the extent of depression of an accelerator pedal (APS) may be equal to or greater than a reference value set as a condition for entry of an engine into a full-load drive mode, determining a part-load torque corresponding to the maximum torque in a part-load drive mode of the engine and a motor torque corresponding to the maximum torque of a motor when the extent of depression of the accelerator pedal may be equal to or greater than the reference value, comparing the sum of the part-load torque and the motor torque with a driver demand torque, and controlling the engine in the full-load drive mode or the part-load drive mode depending on a result of the comparing.

A controller for a vehicle is configured to execute, when a state of charge of a battery is less than or equal to a threshold, a charging control to charge the battery with power that is generated by a motor generator using driving force of an internal combustion engine. The controller is also configured to obtain a temperature of the battery, set the threshold to a first threshold during a warm-up period, which is a period from a start of the internal combustion engine until the warm-up of the internal combustion engine is completed, set the threshold to a second threshold, which is greater than the first threshold, when the warm-up period ends, and set the second threshold to be greater when the temperature of the battery is a first temperature than when the temperature of the battery is a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature.

A controller for a vehicle is configured to execute, when a state of charge of a battery is less than or equal to a threshold, a charging control to charge the battery with power that is generated by a motor generator using driving force of an internal combustion engine. The controller is also configured to obtain a temperature of the battery, set the threshold to a first threshold during a warm-up period, which is a period from a start of the internal combustion engine until the warm-up of the internal combustion engine is completed, set the threshold to a second threshold, which is greater than the first threshold, when the warm-up period ends, and set the second threshold to be greater when the temperature of the battery is a first temperature than when the temperature of the battery is a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature.

When a vehicle is in a traveling state having a low necessity to quickly increase required traveling torque, high-rotational-speed engine starting unit that reduces an emission amount of particulate matter emitted during engine starting starts the engine. Since quick torque response is not required when the vehicle is in the traveling state having the low necessity to quickly increase the required traveling torque, the high-rotational-speed engine starting unit starts the engine, so that increase of the emission amount of particulate matter emitted during engine starting can be curbed.

A vehicle control apparatus includes an overlapping-prediction determination portion configured to determine whether or not it is predicted that, during execution of a synchronous control for placing a clutch, which is provided between an engine and an electric motor, into an engaged state, a synchronization-completion time point of the clutch overlaps with an inertia phase period in process of a shift control of a transmission, and a torque limitation portion configured, when the overlapping-prediction determination portion determines that it is predicted that the synchronization-completion time point overlaps with the inertia phase period, to execute a torque limitation by which at least one of a torque capacity of the clutch and an output torque of the engine is made smaller than when the overlapping-prediction determination portion determines that it is not predicted that the synchronization-completion time point overlaps with the inertia phase period.

A method for controlling operation of a vehicle. The method includes: providing information on geographical position of a first (starting) location and a second (destination) location and on length and topography for at least one possible route to be taken by the vehicle from the first location to the second location; calculating, based on vehicle conditions and on length and topography for the at least one possible route, a plan for how to control the powertrain system to achieve an energy efficient performance of the powertrain system if driving the vehicle along said at least one possible route. The method further includes: setting the vehicle in a non-drive off mode that prevents the vehicle from driving off from the first location, and setting the vehicle in a normal operation mode that allows drive off from the first location when calculating the plan has been carried out.