A hybrid vehicle includes an engine that drives first wheel, and a motor that drives second wheel. The hybrid vehicle includes (1) a minute speed launch support mode where the hybrid vehicle is driven only by the motor as a drive source, (2) a sudden launch support mode where the hybrid vehicle is driven by the engine and motor as the drive source, and (3) a smooth launch support mode where the hybrid vehicle is driven only by the motor as the drive source in an early stage, is driven by the engine and motor in a middle stage, and is driven only by the engine in a late stage, and if an operation amount of an acceleration instruction unit is not 0 or is substantially not 0, any one of the support modes is executed according to an operation status of the acceleration instruction unit.

A control device of a vehicle that controls the vehicle capable of traveling according to a plurality of traveling modes including a first traveling mode and a second traveling mode. The control device includes a traveling mode control unit configured to cause the vehicle to travel according to any one of the plurality of traveling modes. The traveling mode control unit, when the traveling mode of the vehicle is set to the first traveling mode, shifts the traveling mode of the vehicle to the second traveling mode based on a detection result of a detection unit which detects an output of a power storage device and a transition threshold value. The traveling mode control unit includes a threshold value setting unit which changes a value of the transition threshold value in accordance with a maximum output of the power storage device.

A control system of a hybrid vehicle, in which a driving power source for travel includes an engine that is started by cranking, a motor that can control a torque, and a clutch that is coupled with the motor and in which a transmission torque capacity continuously changes depending on a change of a control amount is configured to estimate a torque of the clutch based on the torque that the motor outputs, and change rates of the rotational speed of the motor and the clutch caused by changing the control amount, when the torque that the motor outputs is transmitted by the clutch that is in a slip state by changing the control amount.

This hybrid vehicle (10) has an HV mode and an EV mode, creates a predetermined traveling plan in a manner so as to switch between HV mode and EV mode on the basis of map information, and performs mode switching control on the basis of the traveling plan. The hybrid vehicle (10) limits the execution of mode switching control that is on the basis of the traveling plan in the case of a predetermined state such that the power that can be output by a battery (28) that is the storage battery connected to a second MG (24) that is a rotary electric machine driven during execution of the EV mode is limited.

An electronic control unit of a hybrid vehicle is configured to determine whether or not parking operation of the hybrid vehicle is being performed. The electronic control unit is configured to control the engine and the rotary electric machine such that starting the engine when the parking operation of the hybrid vehicle is being performed is harder than starting the engine when the parking operation of the hybrid vehicle is not being performed.

A vehicle control system for preventing malfunction of the clutch for selectively connecting the engine with the power train. The vehicle control system is applied to a vehicle having an engine, a motor disposed on a power train, and a clutch interposed therebetween. In order to prevent a malfunction of the clutch, the vehicle control system is configured to engage the clutch while causing a slip but without starting the engine if the engine has not yet been started.

A vehicle propulsion system includes an engine and a first electric machine each configured to selectively provide torque to propel the vehicle. The propulsion system also includes a second electric machine coupled to the engine and configured to start the engine from an inactive state. A high-voltage battery powers both of the first electric machine and the second electric machine over a high-voltage bus. The vehicle further includes a controller programmed to issue a command to start the engine using the second electric machine in response to a threshold acceleration demand following a period of reduced acceleration demand.

The present disclosure provides a hybrid electric vehicle, a drive control method and a drive control device of a hybrid electric vehicle. The drive control method includes: obtaining a current gear position of the hybrid electric vehicle and a current electric charge level of a power battery; determining whether the vehicle is within a speed start-stop interval according to the current gear position of the hybrid electric vehicle and the current electric charge level of the power battery; obtaining a slope of a road on which the vehicle is driving and a current speed of the hybrid electric vehicle, if the vehicle is within a speed start-stop interval; and controlling a working state of an engine and/or a motor of the hybrid electric vehicle according to the slope of the road on which the vehicle is driving and the current speed of the vehicle.

A hybrid vehicle includes powertrain components such as an engine, an automatic transmission, and a traction motor selectively coupled to the engine via a clutch and to the transmission. At least one controller is programmed to control these powertrain components. The vehicle is driven over a drive cycle that includes multiple engine starts and transmission gear shifts. An amount of fuel consumption used during these engine starts and transmissions gear shifts is stored on an on-board storage device. Subsequently, the engine is inhibited from starting and the transmission is inhibited from shifting gears based on the amount of fuel consumption associated with the engine starts and transmission gear shifts performed during the drive cycle as recalled from the storage device.

On simultaneous shifts in which shift control of virtual gear positions overlaps shift control of mechanical gear positions, an electronic control unit is configured to delay output of a shift command on the virtual gear position such that shifts of the virtual gear position and the mechanical gear position are performed in synchronization. Therefore, the virtual gear position and the mechanical gear position are shifted in synchronization, irrespective of a difference between the shift response times, and the feeling of strangeness given to the driver due to shift shock, or the like, is suppressed.