A system and method for slowing a vehicle. Road conditions around the vehicle are monitored, and determined if those road conditions are hazardous. An engine control unit is informed of the hazardous road conditions and alters the operation of the engine control unit in response to the hazardous road conditions. When an operator of the vehicle desires to slow the vehicle down, an indication is received indicating the intent to slow the vehicle down. The vehicle is then slowed based upon the altered operation of the engine control unit by applying a vacuum to increase a manifold vacuum of the engine.

A hybrid vehicle includes: an internal combustion engine; a rotating electric machine; a planetary gear mechanism to which the internal combustion engine, the rotating electric machine and an output shaft are connected; a catalyst that purifies exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine; and a controller that controls the internal combustion engine and the rotating electric machine. The controller controls the internal combustion engine and the rotating electric machine to perform catalyst temperature control to shift an operating point on a map representing a relationship between rotation speed of the internal combustion engine and torque generated by the internal combustion engine so that the catalyst has a temperature within an appropriate temperature range. Degradation of the catalyst can be suppressed without deteriorating the function of the catalyst.

A vehicle and a control method are capable of generating compressed air using a motor of a hybrid vehicle so as to perform cleaning/care of the hybrid vehicle, without an additional or separate device. The vehicle includes an engine including an intake pipe provided to suck outside air and an exhaust pipe provided to discharge inside air, an opening degree control valve provided at a rear end of the exhaust pipe, and a motor configured to generate power for driving a wheel and configured to drive a piston of the engine by using a portion of the power. In response to the opening degree control valve being in a closed state, and in response to the engine being in a non-combustion state, compressed air is generated in the exhaust pipe by driving the piston of the engine with the power of the motor.

Engine combustion mode-switching transitions are controlled through a coordination control of an electric machine and a multi-combustion mode engine coupled to each other with a hybrid propulsion system by following predetermined combustion mode-switching strategies and control algorithms.

It is determined whether chargeable and dischargeable electric power of a battery which is a power storage device are limited. When it is determined that the chargeable and dischargeable electric power of the battery is limited, an electric power balance target value of the battery during gear shifting control in a stepped gear shifting unit which is a mechanical gear shifting mechanism is calculated. A smaller value is calculated as a change rate limit value when the chargeable and dischargeable electric power is small than when the chargeable and dischargeable electric power is great, and the calculated change rate limit value is used to perform gear shifting control in the stepped gear shifting unit.

A compression-based speed limiting for a driveline including a transmission is described herein. The driveline controller detects over speeding and controls the ratio of the transmission to therefore increase compression of the prime mover and therefore limit speed.

A method of reducing cold start emissions in a series mode hybrid electric vehicle, including an internal combustion engine with an exhaust duct having a catalyst and a downstream oxygen sensor, an output of the combustion engine being connected to an electric generator with a power output of at least 10 kW that is connected to an electric motor which is coupled to a drive shaft of two or more wheels. The method includes detecting a cold start condition, injecting fuel into the engine such that combustion at a lambda value, λ, is achieved for which λ>1, running the engine at a speed of 1000 rpm or higher, determining if the efficiency of the catalyst reaches a first level, setting λ to about 1 after the predetermined efficiency level of the catalyst has been reached, and reducing the speed to working conditions when the catalyst efficiency reaches a second level.

A method for propulsion of a vehicle (100) having a combustion engine (101) and a gearbox (103), the engine (101) having a combustion chamber with an inlet for supply of combustion gas and an outlet for evacuation of exhaust gas, the method includes, during a change of gear from a first higher to a second lower gear ratio, increasing the pressure (P.sub.ut) at the chamber outlet (202) with a turbocharger unit and, when the rate of revolution (n) of the combustion engine (101) has at least partially fallen, controlling the turbocharger unit (203) such that the combustion gas pressure (P.sub.in) is increased.

An HV-ECU performs processing including controlling an engine to be in a non-forced induction operation state when an engine has been on and when an engine stop request has been issued, performing processing for stopping the engine when a predetermined first period has elapsed, restricting forced induction and output when the engine stop request has not been issued and when a current time point is immediately after start of the engine, canceling restriction when a predetermined second period has elapsed, and controlling the engine with a position on a higher rotation speed side than a current operating point along an equal power line being set as an operating point when the current time point is not immediately after start of the engine and when a negative pressure is insufficient.

A method of reducing cold start emissions in a series mode hybrid electric vehicle, including an internal combustion engine with an exhaust duct having a catalyst and a downstream oxygen sensor, an output of the combustion engine being connected to an electric generator with a power output of at least 10 kW that is connected to an electric motor which is coupled to a drive shaft of two or more wheels. The method includes detecting a cold start condition, injecting fuel into the engine such that combustion at a lambda value, λ, is achieved for which λ>1, running the engine at a speed of 1000 rpm or higher, determining if the efficiency of the catalyst reaches a first level, setting λ to about 1 after the predetermined efficiency level of the catalyst has been reached, and reducing the speed to working conditions when the catalyst efficiency reaches a second level.