A control device for a series hybrid vehicle, the series hybrid vehicle including: an engine, a catalyst that is disposed in an exhaust path of the engine, a generator that generates electric power using power output from the engine, a battery that stores the electric power generated by the generator, and a traction electric motor that is driven with electric power of the battery, the control device including an electronic control unit configured to: acquire information on a temperature of the catalyst; and, when the information on the temperature of the catalyst is information corresponding to the temperature of the catalyst being equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, change an operating point of the engine to an operating point that reduces a temperature of the exhaust gas while generating the electric power by the generator.

One embodiment is a method of operating an electronic control system (ECS) to control an engine to propel a vehicle. The method comprises receiving a throttle command, determining an operation to increase engine cycle efficiency by reducing engine torque below a magnitude corresponding to the throttle command and below a torque curve limit over a first vehicle operation segment and permitting an increase in engine torque above the torque curve limit over a second vehicle operation segment, controlling the engine to output torque below the magnitude corresponding to the throttle command and below the torque curve limit over the first vehicle operation segment, and controlling the engine to output torque above the torque curve limit over the second vehicle operation segment in response to a second received throttle command and constrained by an extended limit on operation of the engine above the torque curve limit.

In the present invention, an internal combustion engine (7) drives a generator (6). The internal combustion engine (7) carries out a standby operation. The standby operation is an operation involving assisting power supply to a drive motor (2). During the standby operation of the internal combustion engine (7), the SoC of a battery (4) is equal to or higher than a predetermined SoC threshold. The operating point of the internal combustion engine (7) during the standby operation is further on a lower-output side than the operating point of the same during the charging of the battery (4). The operating point of the internal combustion engine (7) during the standby operation is an operating point in which the collector pressure of the internal combustion engine (7) is equal to or higher than a predetermined collector pressure threshold. The operating point of the internal combustion engine (7) during the standby operation is within a lean combustion region.

A method for controlling a hybrid drive system for a road vehicle provided with at least a pair of drive wheels; the hybrid drive system comprises: an internal combustion heat engine, which is designed to transmit the motion to the drive wheels and is provided with a turbocharger equipped with a turbine; a first electric machine, which is able to transmit the motion to the drive wheels; and a second electric machine, which is mechanically connected to the turbine of the turbocharger. In a possible operating mode, the internal combustion heat engine is controlled to pursue a target torque by completely opening a throttle valve, operating the second electric machine as an electric generator and the first electric machine as a motor, and varying the electric power generated by the second electric machine so as to adjust the flow rate of fresh air fed to the cylinder of the internal combustion heat engine.

A hybrid vehicle includes a multi-cylinder engine, an exhaust gas control apparatus, an electric motor, an electricity storage device, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the electric motor so as to cover a driving power shortage resulting from execution of catalyst temperature raising control. The catalyst temperature raising control is control that involves stopping fuel supply to at least one of cylinders of the multi-cylinder engine and enriching air-fuel ratios for the other cylinders than the at least one cylinder.

A hybrid vehicle includes a multi-cylinder engine, an exhaust gas control apparatus including a catalyst for removing exhaust gas from the multi-cylinder engine, an electric motor, and a control device configured to execute catalyst temperature increase control for stopping fuel supply to at least one cylinder and making an air-fuel ratio in each of remaining cylinders rich in a case where a temperature increase of a catalyst is requested during a load operation of the multi-cylinder engine, execute control such that an electric motor supplements insufficient drive power due to the execution of the catalyst temperature increase control, and change the air-fuel ratio in at least one of the remaining cylinders to a lean side after a temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus becomes equal to or higher than a determination threshold value during the execution of the catalyst temperature increase control.

Methods and systems are provided for calculating a fuel aging of fuel in a fuel tank. In one example, a method may include alerting a vehicle operator and/or adjusting engine operating parameters in response to a fuel aging being greater than a threshold aging.

An apparatus for controlling an environment-friendly vehicle, a system having the same, and a method thereof are provided. The apparatus includes a processor to perform a control operation to expand an operable area based on a motor efficiency gain and a state of charge (SOC) of a battery in an Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) operation or a lean burn operation, and a storage to store the motor efficiency gain and the SOC of the battery, which are acquired by the processor.

A controller is configured to control a vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine and an automatic transmission. The controller is configured to execute a shifting process that switches a gear ratio of the automatic transmission and a lean operation process that operates the internal combustion engine with an air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture in a cylinder leaner than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. The controller is further configured to, when executing the shifting process during execution of the lean operation process, set an air-fuel ratio in a case in which the shifting process is being executed to a value closer to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio than an air-fuel ratio in a case in which the shifting process is not being executed.

A hybrid vehicle has an engine (E) that is capable of changing a combustion mode between a stoichiometric combustion mode and a lean combustion mode and a motor/generator (MG) that is capable of performing torque assist by a power running operation and torque absorption by a regenerative operation. As a boundary between a stoichiometric combustion operating region and a lean combustion operating region, a second boundary (L2) at a torque decrease has a hysteresis at a low torque side with respect to a first boundary (L1) at a torque increase. Upon shift from the stoichiometric combustion operating region to the lean combustion operating region, for delay in increase of an intake-air quantity, decrease in fuel and the torque assist by the motor/generator (MG) are carried out, and an exhaust air-fuel ratio is changed stepwise.