A motor vehicle includes an engine having, in an exhaust system thereof, a particulate matter removal filter that removes particulate matters, a shift device capable of performing a sequential shift operation, and an electronic control unit that controls the engine such that the motor vehicle runs in accordance with a driver's operation. The electronic control unit is configured to perform control in such a manner as to cause the vehicle to run without carrying out a shift even when the sequential shift operation is performed by the driver, if a deposition amount of particulate matters deposited in the particulate matter removal filter is equal to or larger than a predetermined amount. Thus, the particulate matter removal filter can be restrained from being overheated through the supply of a large amount of air to the particulate matter removal filter with the predetermined amount or more of particulate matters deposited therein.

A method for regenerating a particulate filter (30) that is arranged in the exhaust train of an internal combustion engine (12) of a vehicle. The vehicle has a drive train (10) with the internal combustion engine (12) and a clutch unit (18), and the clutch unit (18) connects the internal combustion engine (12) in a separable manner to a transmission (20). The method includes switching off the internal combustion engine (12), and closing the clutch unit (18) with a slip.

The hybrid vehicle is provide with the control device configured to permit fuel cutoff of the engine when the SOC of the power storage device is greater than a first predetermined ratio, an amount of particulate matter deposited on the filter is less than a first predetermined amount, or a temperature of the filter is lower than a predetermined temperature. The control device is configured to set the allowable upper-limit ratio of the SOC: to a second predetermined ratio greater than the first predetermined ratio when the PM amount is less than a second predetermined amount less than the first predetermined amount, and to a third predetermined ratio equal to or less than the first predetermined ratio when the PM amount is equal to or greater than the second predetermined amount.

A vehicle 1 comprises an internal combustion engine 10, a filter 61, a motor 16, a battery 20, a trapped amount calculating part 91 configured to calculate an amount of particulate matter, a state-of-charge estimating part 92 configured to estimate a state of charge of the battery, an engine load setting part 93 configured to set an engine load, and an internal combustion engine control part 94. The engine load setting part is configured to make the engine load increase in the case where the amount of the particulate matter is relatively large compared to the case where the amount of the particulate matter is relatively small when it is estimated that the battery can be charged. The engine load setting part is configured to change an amount of increase of the engine load in accordance with the amount of the particulate matter when making the engine load increase.

A hybrid vehicle includes an engine that has a particulate matter filter, a motor, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to control the engine and the motor such that an intermittent operation of the engine is permitted and the hybrid vehicle travels with required power when a vehicle speed is lower than a first predetermined vehicle speed. The electronic control unit is configured to inhibit the intermittent operation of the engine when a deposition amount of particulate matters is equal to or greater than a first deposition amount and a state in which the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a second predetermined vehicle speed and is lower than the first predetermined vehicle speed is continued for a first predetermined time.

A hybrid vehicle includes a vehicle control device to perform a traveling control so as to allow switching between an HV traveling in which the hybrid vehicle travels while an engine works and an EV traveling in which the hybrid vehicle travels while working of the engine is stopped, and an engine control device to execute a filter regeneration control that is an engine control for removing particulate matter deposited in a filter. The engine control device adopts satisfaction of a predetermined first condition, as a requirement for execution of the filter regeneration control, when the number of times of start of the engine after vehicle activation is one, and adopts satisfaction of a second condition, which is satisfied more easily than the first condition, as a requirement for execution of the filter regeneration control, when the number of times of the start is two or more.

In a hybrid vehicle including: an engine having an exhaust system in which a filter that removes particulate matter is provided; a motor configured to generate a driving force for the hybrid vehicle; a power storage device configured to exchange an electric power with the motor; and an electronic control unit configured to control the engine and the motor. When an accumulation amount of the particulate matter of the filter is equal to or more than a predetermined accumulation amount, the electronic control unit is configured to permit fuel cut of the engine when a temperature of the filter is lower than a predetermined temperature, and the electronic control unit is configured to prohibit the fuel cut of the engine when the temperature of the filter is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature.

A method for operating a motor vehicle is disclosed. The motor vehicle is provided with a hybrid drive device having an electric machine, an internal combustion engine and a particle filter associated with the internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine is operated temporarily for regenerating the particle filter. In a first operating mode, the regeneration is only started when it is determined by a navigation device that an electric driving region to be driven through lies ahead, in which region an operation of the internal combustion engine and/or the regeneration of the particle filter is not desired.

A vehicle includes an engine having a particulate matter removal filter to remove particulate matter, in an exhaust system, and a control device to control the engine such that the vehicle travels in a mode selected from a plurality of modes including a first mode in which both fuel efficiency and ride quality are achieved and a second mode in which the engine is operated at a load higher than a predetermined load. When an accumulation quantity of the particulate matter in the particulate matter removal filter is equal to or more than a threshold, the control device notifies a driver that traveling in the second mode is recommended. When the driver selects the second mode in response to the notification, it is possible to restrain an uncomfortable feeling to be given to the driver, even if the engine is operated at a high load for regenerating the filter.

A motor vehicle includes an engine having, in an exhaust system thereof, a particulate matter removal filter that removes particulate matters, a shift device capable of performing a sequential shift operation, and an electronic control unit that controls the engine such that the motor vehicle runs in accordance with a driver's operation. The electronic control unit is configured to perform control in such a manner as to cause the vehicle to run without carrying out a shift even when the sequential shift operation is performed by the driver, if a deposition amount of particulate matters deposited in the particulate matter removal filter is equal to or larger than a predetermined amount. Thus, the particulate matter removal filter can be restrained from being overheated through the supply of a large amount of air to the particulate matter removal filter with the predetermined amount or more of particulate matters deposited therein.