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.

A system for a vehicle includes an electric machine configured to transfer power between an engine and traction battery, an auxiliary battery electrically connected with and isolated from the traction battery, and a controller programmed to, after receiving an engine start request, initiate an engine start using the batteries in response to available traction battery power being below a threshold, and initiate the engine start using the traction battery but not the auxiliary battery otherwise.

A control apparatus includes a first determination section determining whether a power-supply voltage has decreased below a first threshold value, an interruption section interrupting a current flow to an inverter if the voltage has decreased below the first threshold value, a second determination section that determining whether the power-supply voltage has increased above a second threshold value, an interruption releasing section releasing the interruption based on the fact that the voltage has increased above the second threshold value, a count section counting the number of interruptions, a limiting section determining whether the decrease in the power-supply voltage is caused by a first factor of an electric rotating machine or a second factor, and limits the counting if the decrease in the power-supply voltage is caused by the second factor, and a third determination section determining whether the interruption is allowed to be released based on the number of interruptions.

An engine starting control system for hybrid vehicles is provided to prevent a temporal drop in drive force when starting an engine. The control system maintains an operating mode of a switching mechanism when starting the engine by the first motor, in a case that the vehicle is propelled in the forward direction by the first motor and that the switching mechanism is in a second mode, or in a case that the vehicle is propelled in the reverse direction by the first motor and that the switching mechanism is in the first mode. Thereafter, the control system increases a rotational speed of the engine to a self-sustaining speed, switches the operating mode of the switching mechanism, and increases torque of the engine.

Provided is a vehicle control device with which improved fuel economy and lowered exhaust gas emissions can be effectively achieved without adversely affecting the driver when traveling while following a leading vehicle. The present invention has: a following-determination means that, during travel while following a leading vehicle, determines, on the basis of the speed of the host vehicle, the speed of the leading vehicle, and the distance from the leading vehicle, whether the host vehicle will be able to follow the leading vehicle by coasting; and an idle stop determination means that, when the following-determination means has determined that the host vehicle will be able to follow the leading vehicle by coasting, and the driving/travel state of the host vehicle satisfies other traveling idle stop criteria, determines that a traveling idle stop should be performed; and is provided with a determination criteria updating means for updating the determination criteria for the idle stop determination means in regard to criteria such as the leading vehicle characteristics, road surface conditions, and weather. In the event that it has been determined, from the determination conditions that have been updated in regard to the leading vehicle characteristics, etc., that following by coasting is possible, a control to shut off the on-board engine is performed.

A hybrid vehicle controller is configured to: upon receiving a predetermined mode switching request, bring a clutch into a half-clutch state to start an engine using rotation of a transmission shaft; and upon determining that the engine has started, shift the clutch from the half-clutch state to a stand-by state and subsequently shift the clutch to an engaged state, the stand-by state being a state which is intermediate between the half-clutch state and a disengaged state and in which drive power of the engine is not transmitted to the transmission shaft.

A vehicle control system for reducing shocks resulting from restarting an engine under EV running mode. The vehicle control system is applied to a vehicle including an engagement device that selectively connect the engine with the powertrain, and a motor adapted to generate a drive force and connected with the powertrain. In the vehicle, a first mode is selected to propel the vehicle by the motor while interrupting the torque transmission between the engine and the powertrain and stopping the engine, and a second mode is selected to propel the vehicle by the motor while allowing the torque transmission between the engine and the powertrain and stopping the engine. The vehicle control system selects the second mode if a control response of at least any of the engagement device and the motor is estimated to be out of a predetermine range when the vehicle is running while stopping the engine.

A system and method for operating a vehicle equipped with an automatic stop and start system is disclosed. The vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, an automatic transmission and a fluid launch device with an impeller disconnect clutch. A controller may initiate an automatic stop or start of the engine under certain operating conditions. During an engine start/stop event, the engine is automatically shut down and the impeller clutch of the fluid launch device may be disengaged to decouple the engine and transmission from the driveline to provide for improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.

Systems and methods for cranking an engine of a hybrid vehicle that includes an electric machine to crank the engine and propel the vehicle are disclosed. In one example, engine cranking speed and engine cranking source are selected in response to vehicle operating conditions that may affect whether or not an electrical power source has sufficient energy to crank the engine.

A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and a rotary electric machine. The internal combustion engine includes a variable valve actuating device configured to change an operation characteristic of an intake valve. The rotary electric machine is configured to generate driving force for propelling the hybrid vehicle. A controller for the hybrid vehicle includes a traveling control unit and a valve actuation control unit. The traveling control unit executes traveling control for causing the hybrid vehicle to travel by using the driving force of the rotary electric machine while stopping the internal combustion engine. The traveling control unit starts up the internal combustion engine while executing the traveling control. The valve actuation control unit controls the variable valve actuating device. The valve actuation control unit, when the internal combustion engine is started up while the traveling control is executed, sets at least one of a valve lift and valve operating angle of the intake valve such that the at least one of the valve lift and valve operating angle of the intake valve when the hybrid vehicle travels at a first vehicle speed is smaller than the corresponding at least one of the valve lift and valve operating angle of the intake valve when the hybrid vehicle travels at a second vehicle speed. The second vehicle speed is lower than the first vehicle speed.