An apparatus and a method for controlling a driving mode of an HEV are provided. The apparatus releases an HEV mode at an appropriate time before forcibly releasing an engine clutch even when an accelerator pedal is engaged while driving the vehicle on an uphill road in the HEV mode to reduce a shock caused when the engine clutch is forcibly disengaged and improve riding comfort and drivability. The method includes determining whether the vehicle is driven on an uphill road from gradient information of a current road while the vehicle is driven in a HEV mode and determining a clutch engagement impossible speed corresponding to the gradient of the current road when the vehicle is driven on the uphill road. The engine clutch is disengaged to release the HEV mode when the speed of the motor is equal to or less than the determined clutch engagement impossible speed.

A vehicle includes a power plant, an electrical port, and a controller. The controller is configured to transmit a signal to the inverter via a conductor of the port indicating a maximum power available. The signal may be transmitted responsive to indication of an off-board inverter being plugged into the port. The controller may be further configured to complete a circuit between the power plant and the inverter. The circuit may be completed responsive to an expected predefined reduction in peak voltage of the signal caused by the inverter.

A vehicle control device includes a processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions to perform. The processor is configured to acquiring a state of a first battery and a state of a second battery having lower capacity and higher power than the first battery, calculating a first upper power limit value based on the state of the first battery, calculating a second upper power limit value based on the state of the second battery, and calculating a power output ratio between amounts of electric power to be supplied from the first battery and the second battery to a motor that outputs motive power for traveling based on the first upper power limit value and the second upper power limit value, and controlling electric power to be output to the motor based on a traveling mode of a vehicle, a maximum driving force in the motor, and the power output ratio. The controlling of the electric power includes changes the maximum amount of electric power based on whether or not the traveling mode is a first traveling mode in which traveling performance has higher priority than that in another traveling mode.

A method is provided to control a hybrid powertrain, comprising: a) engaging a gear corresponding to either a gear pair connected with a first planetary gear in the gearbox or corresponding to a gear pair connected with a second planetary gear and an output shaft; b) selecting a gear by connecting two rotatable components in the first planetary gear with each other, via a first coupling device and/or connecting two rotatable components in the second planetary gear with each other, via a second coupling device; and c) controlling a switch such that a first electrical machine is set into a waiting state, if the second coupling device connects the two rotatable components of the second planetary gear with each other, and such that a second electrical machine is set into a waiting state, if the first coupling device connects the two rotatable components of the first planetary gear with each other.

A drive device for a motor vehicle includes a primary powertrain and a secondary powertrain, wherein the primary powertrain includes a combustion engine for generating a total torque; a torque distribution device coupled to the combustion engine and including a first and a second output, wherein the torque distribution device is designed to provide a first partial torque in mechanical form at its first output derived from the total torque, and to provide a second partial torque in electrical form at its second output derived from the total torque; and a transmission which is coupled to the first output of the torque distribution device; wherein the secondary powertrain includes an electric machine which is coupled to the second output of the torque distribution device; wherein the torque distribution device includes a torque limiting device which is designed to limit the first partial torque to a presettable threshold value.

A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, an electrical storage device, a rotary electric machine, and a controller. The hybrid vehicle travels in a selected one of a charge sustaining mode and a charge depleting mode. Switching from the charge depleting mode to the charge sustaining mode is controlled such that a first state of charge is higher than a second state of charge. In the first state of charge, the controller switches from the charge depleting mode to the charge sustaining mode at the time when operation characteristic of the intake valve is unchangeable to a desired operation characteristic. In the second state of charge there is switching from the charge depleting mode to the charge sustaining mode at the time when the operation characteristic of the intake valve is changeable to a desired operation characteristic.

An ECU includes a running mode control unit, a Wout control unit, and an engine start/stop determination unit. The running mode control unit controls switching of a running mode including a CD mode in which an engine is stopped and running using a motor generator alone is given priority, and a CS mode in which the engine is operated and the SOC of a power storage device is maintained at a predetermined target. The engine start/stop determination unit carries out a start determination of the engine based on a discharge allowable power indicating electric power that can be discharged by the power storage device. The Wout control unit modifies the discharge allowable power based on the running mode and operation/stop of the engine.

An energy management control device for a hybrid vehicle has an energy management controller that suppresses an occurrence of a condition in which an EV start is not possible due to insufficient battery charge capacity when an engagement clutch fails. When the energy management controller has determined that one of the engagement clutches has failed that is used to carry out an EV start using a first motor generator as a drive source that receives electrical power from a high-power battery when starting the vehicle, energy management maps are used in energy management control, which have a usage SOC range that is broader than the usage SOC range of the normal energy management map, which is used during normal operation.

A hybrid vehicle includes an electronic control unit configured to, when the drive mode is changed from one of the series-parallel mode and the parallel mode to the other one of the series-parallel mode and the parallel mode and the speed stage is changed from one of the low speed stage and the high speed stage to the other one of the low speed stage and the high speed stage, selectively execute either one of a first control and a second control. The first control is control in which the drive mode and the speed stage are changed by passing through the series mode. The second control is control in which one of the drive mode and the speed stage is changed and then the other one of the drive mode and the speed stage is changed without passing through the series mode.

In a drive system including a battery, a power generation device (PGD) including a generator mounted to an engine shaft, and a drive device (DD) including a motor for driving a driven component, a drive controller performs a drive control for PGD and DD and a switching control for a switching device. During a parallel connection, respective high-voltage side terminals (HVTs) of PGD and the battery are connected to a HVT of DD, and respective low-voltage side terminals (LVTs) of PGD and the battery are connected to LVT of DD. During a series connection, HVT of any one of PGD and the battery is connected to HVT of DD, and LVT of another one of PGD and the battery is connected to LVT of DD, and terminals of PGD and the battery, which are not connected to DD, are connected to each other.