A system and method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an engine, first and second electric machines coupled to a traction battery and configured to operate primarily as a motor and a generator, respectively, and a controller in communication with the engine and the first and second electric machines include increasing target engine speed from a sea level speed to deliver a demanded engine power at altitude up to an NVH engine speed limit. The system and method may reduce the demanded engine power based on an attainable engine power associated with the NVH engine speed limit. A demanded wheel power may be reduced in response to the reduced engine power.

Disclosed are a system and method for controlling driving of an electronic 4-wheel drive hybrid vehicle in which torque distribution and compensation to front wheels and rear wheels in each gear position are appropriately executed to satisfy driver's requested torque depending on selected driving mode of the electronic 4-wheel drive hybrid vehicle in which an engine and a front wheel motor are connected to the front wheels and a rear wheel motor is connected to the rear wheels, thereby being capable of increasing acceleration performance when a sports mode is selected as the driving mode and realizing acceleration linearity when a comfort mode is selected as the driving mode.

A hybrid vehicle includes an electronic control unit configured to: set a target rotation speed of an engine based on a vehicle speed and a shift position; set a driving force when an upper-limit power is output to a drive shaft as an upper-limit driving force; set a target engine power such that the smaller of the upper-limit driving force and the required driving force is output to the drive shaft; and control the engine, the first motor, and the second motor such that the engine to rotate at the target rotation speed and to output the target power. At this time, the upper-limit power is set to be lower when a coolant temperature of the engine is low than when the coolant temperature is high.

A power control device of a vehicle disallows generation of additional power of rotating electrical machines when power of an internal combustion engine is transmitted to a transmission via a clutch and an amount of operation of an accelerator pedal is lower than an operation threshold value. The power control device allows generation of additional power of the rotating electrical machines when power of the internal combustion engine is transmitted to the transmission via the clutch and the amount of operation of an accelerator pedal is higher than the operation threshold value.

Spark ignition engine operation at higher RPM so as to reduce alcohol requirements in high efficiency alcohol enhanced gasoline engines is disclosed. Control of engine upspeeding (use of a higher ratio of engine RPM to wheel RPM) so as to achieve an alcohol reduction objective while limiting any decrease in efficiency is described. High RPM alcohol enhanced gasoline engine operation in plug-in series hybrid powertrains for heavy duty trucks and other vehicles is also described.

A control device for a hybrid vehicle, includes a travel route creation unit creating a travel route from a starting point to a destination through a stopping point by referring to map information; a parking time period estimation unit estimating a parking time period of the hybrid vehicle at the stopping point; a travel load prediction unit predicting a traveling load of the hybrid vehicle in each of sections obtained by dividing the travel route by referring to the map information; and a travel mode setting unit setting, for each of the sections, a traveling mode of an EV mode, in which the battery provides power for traveling as a main power supply, or an HV mode, in which the internal combustion engine provides the power for traveling as the main power supply, on the basis of the parking time period and the traveling load.

In a hybrid vehicle, in a case where a temperature of a catalyst is equal to or larger than a prescribed temperature that is a temperature at which purification of an exhaust gas in the catalyst begins, and charging of a storage battery is not restricted, at least one of an engine load, an engine speed, and a retard angle amount of an ignition timing is made to gradually increase, and in a case where the temperature of the catalyst is equal to or larger than the prescribed temperature and the charging of the storage battery is restricted, the engine load is fixed and at least one of the engine speed and the retard angle amount of the ignition timing is made to gradually increase.

A vehicle propulsion system includes a plurality of power sources coupled to a final drive of the vehicle propulsion system. A controller is programmed to determine a desired power demand from the power sources and operate a number of the power sources to produce the desired power demand. The controller identifies a least efficient power source of the power sources and controls the least efficient power source to produce power at an optimum operating point of the least efficient power source. The controller also identifies a power output of the least efficient power source corresponding to the optimum operating point, compares the power output of the least efficient power source to the desired power demand, identifies a remaining power demand from the comparison, and controls another power source to produce the remaining power demand.

In a hybrid automobile in which a first motor, an engine, and a drive shaft coupled to an axle are connected respectively to a sun gear, a carrier, and a ring gear of a planetary gear set and a second motor is connected to the drive shaft, during a predetermined travel period in which the engine is operative and respective gates of a first inverter and a second inverter used to drive the first motor and the second motor are both blocked, the engine is controlled such that the first motor rotates at a predetermined rotation speed, and a boost converter is controlled such that a voltage of a drive voltage system power line reaches a target voltage corresponding to an accelerator depression amount.

A power controller of a hybrid vehicle includes: a first drive motor that drives any one of a front wheel and a rear wheel of a vehicle; an engine that drives the one wheel or the corresponding other one of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the vehicle through a clutch; a generator that is driven by the engine; and a voltage transformer that steps down generated electric power supplied to the first drive motor and a battery from the generator. The power controller limits passing power of the voltage transformer according to the temperature of the voltage transformer, and connects the clutch when the passing power of the voltage transformer is limited.