Hybrid vehicle and its control method

Abstract

To avoid interaction between control for decreasing in advance an electricity accumulation ratio of a power storage device and control for increasing in advance the electricity accumulation ratio of the power storage device.SOLUTION: When control for a second point region where an engine is stopped and a vehicle travels only by power from a motor is estimated or planned to execute in a prescribed range of the second point region that is estimated or configured to be a point or a region where the engine is stopped and electrical driving only using the power from the motor is set, control for a first point region where the vehicle travels through controlling the engine and the motor to decrease an electricity accumulation ratio of a power storage device is prohibited before the first point region that is estimated or configured to be a point or a region at which the vehicle preferably arrives in a state where the electricity accumulation ratio of the power storage device is small.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hybrid vehicle and a control method thereof.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of hybrid vehicle, there has been proposed one that switches between each mode of an electric motor mode for traveling solely by an electric motor, an engine mode for traveling solely by an engine, and a combined mode using both, according to a mode switching vehicle speed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this hybrid vehicle, by switching the mode switching vehicle speed for each of various environments such as urban areas, suburbs, highways, tunnels, etc., it is possible to perform driving suitable for the environment.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] The hybrid vehicle and its control method described herein employ the following means to achieve the main objectives described above.

[0007] The hybrid vehicle disclosed herein is An engine capable of outputting power for driving, A motor capable of outputting power for propulsion, A power storage device capable of exchanging power with the motor, A control device that performs: a control for a first point area which controls the engine and the motor to drive in such a way that the charge level of the energy storage device decreases before reaching a first point area which is estimated or set as a point or area which is preferably reached when the charge level of the energy storage device is low; and a control for a second point area which controls the engine to stop and drive in such a way that the engine to stop and drive in such a way that the vehicle to drive in such a way that the vehicle to drive in such a way that the vehicle to drive in such a way that the vehicle to drive in such a way that the charge level of the energy storage device decreases before reaching a first point area which is estimated or set as a point or area which is preferably reached when the charge level of the energy storage device is low; and a control device that performs: a control for a second point area which controls the engine to stop and drive in such a way that the vehicle to charge level of the energy storage device decreases before reaching a first point area which is estimated or set as a point or area which is preferably reached when the charge level of the energy storage device is low. A hybrid vehicle equipped with, The control device prohibits the execution of the first point area control when the execution of the second point area control is estimated or planned within a predetermined distance range. It is characterized by the following:

[0008] In the hybrid vehicle of this disclosure, the control device performs control for a first point area, which involves controlling the engine and motor to reduce the charge level of the battery storage device before reaching a first point area, which is estimated or set as a point or area where it is preferable to reach the battery storage device with a low charge level. It also performs control for a second point area, which involves stopping the engine and driving solely on motor power within a second point area, which is estimated or set as a point or area where electric driving is set with the engine stopped and the vehicle driven solely on motor power. When the execution of the second point area control is estimated or planned within a predetermined distance range, the control device prohibits the execution of the first point area control. This prevents interference between the first point area control and the second point area control. Here, "estimated" includes cases based on past history or predictions, "set" includes cases where it is pre-set or set by the user, and "planned" includes cases where it is planned by the navigation system as a driving route to the destination.

[0009] In the hybrid vehicle of this disclosure, the first point region may be a point or region where a long period of stopping is expected. Here, "long period of time" can refer to a time longer than the time required for the engine and the purification device attached to the engine's exhaust system to cool down to the point where warming up is necessary.

[0010] In the hybrid vehicle of this disclosure, the control for the second point region may further control the engine and the motor so that the charge storage ratio of the energy storage device increases before reaching the second point region. In this way, the vehicle can more reliably travel through the second point region using only power from the motor with the engine stopped.

[0011] The control method of the hybrid vehicle described herein is A control method for a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine capable of outputting power for driving, a motor capable of outputting power for driving, and a power storage device capable of exchanging power with the motor, It is possible to perform a first-point area control, which involves controlling the engine and the motor to drive in such a way that the charge level of the energy storage device decreases before reaching a first point area, which is estimated or set as a point or area where it is preferable to reach the point or area where the charge level of the energy storage device is low, and a second-point area control, which involves stopping the engine and driving in such a way that the engine is stopped and the vehicle is driven solely by the motor, within a second point area, which is estimated or set as a point or area where electric driving is set to occur. Furthermore, when the execution of the control for the second point area is estimated or planned within a predetermined distance range, the execution of the control for the first point area is prohibited. It is characterized by the following:

[0012] In the hybrid vehicle control method of this disclosure, when executing control for a first point area, which controls the engine and motor to reduce the charge level of the battery storage device before reaching a first point area, which is estimated or set as a point or area where it is preferable to reach with a low charge level of the battery storage device, or when executing control for a second point area, which controls the engine to stop and drives using only the motor's power, within a second point area, which is estimated or set as a point or area where electric driving is set with the engine stopped and the vehicle driven using only the motor's power, the execution of control for the first point area is prohibited when the execution of control for the second point area is estimated or planned within a predetermined distance range. This makes it possible to avoid interference between control for the first point area and control for the second point area. In this hybrid vehicle control method as described above, "estimate" includes cases based on past history or prediction, "set" includes cases that are pre-set or set by the user, and "plan" includes cases that are planned as a driving route to the destination by the navigation system. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows an example of a hybrid vehicle 20 as one embodiment of the present disclosure, with the hybrid ECU 50 as the central component. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows an example of motor-driven area driving processing performed by the hybrid ECU 50. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows an example of long-term parking processing performed by the Hybrid ECU50. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the time change in the State of Charge (SOC) of battery 40 in an embodiment and comparative example where the area near the home is set as the motor driving area. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Next, embodiments for implementing this disclosure will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hybrid vehicle 20 as one embodiment of this disclosure, centered on a hybrid electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as hybrid ECU) 50. As shown in the figure, the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment is equipped with an engine EG and a motor MG as power sources. The hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment has two driving modes: a motor driving mode in which the vehicle is driven by power from the motor MG with the engine EG stopped, and a normal driving mode in which the vehicle is driven by power from both the engine EG and the motor MG, with the engine EG operated as needed.

[0015] The hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment includes, in addition to the power source, an ignition switch 21, a GPS (Global Positioning System, Global Positioning Satellite) 22, an in-vehicle camera 24, a millimeter-wave radar 26, an acceleration sensor 28, a vehicle speed sensor 30, an accelerator sensor 32, a brake sensor 34, a mode switch 36, a battery actuator 38, a battery 40, an electronic control unit for air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as air conditioner ECU) 42, an air conditioner compressor 44, a hybrid ECU 50, an accelerator actuator 60, a brake actuator 62, a brake device 64, a display device 66, a driving state indicator 67, a meter 68, a DCM (Data Communication Module) 70, a navigation system 80, and the like.

[0016] The GPS 22 is a device that detects the position of the vehicle based on signals transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites. The in-vehicle camera 24 is a camera that images the surroundings of the vehicle, and examples thereof include a front camera that images the front of the vehicle and a rear camera that images the rear of the vehicle. The millimeter-wave radar 26 detects the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed between the host vehicle and the vehicle in front, and also detects the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed between the host vehicle and the vehicle behind.

[0017] The acceleration sensor 28 is, for example, a sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle in the front-rear direction or the acceleration of the vehicle in the left-right direction (lateral direction). The vehicle speed sensor 30 detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle based on the wheel speed or the like. The accelerator sensor 32 detects the accelerator opening or the like according to the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal by the driver. The brake sensor 34 detects the brake position or the like as the amount of depression of the brake pedal by the driver. The mode switch 36 is disposed near the steering wheel in the driver's seat and is a switch for switching between the motor driving mode and the normal driving mode.

[0018] The battery actuator 38 detects the state of the battery 40, such as the voltage between terminals, the charge / discharge current, and the battery temperature, and manages the battery 40 based on these. The battery actuator 38 may calculate the state of charge SOC as the ratio of the remaining charge capacity to the total charge capacity based on the charge / discharge current, or calculate the maximum allowable output power (output limit Wout) that may be output from the battery 40 or the maximum allowable input power (input limit Win) that may be input to the battery 40 based on the state of charge SOC, the battery temperature, etc. The battery 40 is configured as a rechargeable secondary battery, and for example, a lithium-ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lead-acid battery, etc. can be used.

[0019] The air conditioner ECU 42 is configured as a microcomputer centered around a CPU (not shown), and in addition to the CPU, it includes a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, an input port, an output port, a communication port, etc. The air conditioner ECU 42 is incorporated in an air conditioning device that air-conditions the passenger compartment, and drives and controls the air conditioner compressor 44 in the air conditioning device so that the temperature of the passenger compartment becomes the set temperature.

[0020] The engine EG is configured as, for example, an internal combustion engine. The motor MG is configured as a motor that also functions as a generator such as a synchronous motor generator. The motor MG is connected to the battery 40 via an inverter (not shown), and can output driving force using the power supplied from the battery 40 or charge the battery 40 with the generated power.

[0021] The hybrid ECU 50, although not shown in the diagram, is configured as a microcomputer centered around a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, it includes ROM, RAM, flash memory, input ports, output ports, and communication ports. The hybrid ECU 50 sets the driving mode and, based on the set driving mode, the accelerator opening from the accelerator sensor 32, the brake position from the brake sensor 34, and the output and input limits from the battery actuator 38, sets the target operating point of the engine EG (target rotational speed and target torque) and the torque command of the motor MG. Note that the hybrid ECU 50 does not start when the accessory is on, but starts when the dashcam is on.

[0022] When the vehicle is running on the motor, the hybrid ECU 50 sets the required driving force and power based on the accelerator opening from the accelerator sensor 32 and the vehicle speed from the vehicle speed sensor 30, sets a torque command for the motor MG to output the required driving force and power to the vehicle, and transmits the set torque command to the accelerator actuator 60. When the vehicle is running in hybrid mode, the hybrid ECU 50 sets the target driving point of the engine EG and the torque command for the motor MG to output the required driving force and power to the vehicle, and transmits the target driving point and torque command to the accelerator actuator 60. Furthermore, when the brake pedal is pressed, the hybrid ECU 50 sets the required braking force based on the brake position from the brake sensor 34 and the vehicle speed from the vehicle speed sensor 30, sets a regenerative torque command for regenerative control of the motor MG based on the required braking force and vehicle speed, and sets a target braking force for the braking system, transmits the torque command to the accelerator actuator 60, and transmits the target braking force to the brake actuator 62.

[0023] The accelerator actuator 60 drives and controls the engine EG and motor MG according to the target driving point and torque command set by the hybrid ECU 50. The accelerator actuator 60 controls the intake air volume, fuel injection, ignition, and intake valve opening and closing timing so that the engine EG operates at the target driving point (target rotational speed and target torque). In addition, the accelerator actuator 60 controls the switching of the switching elements in the inverter that drives the motor MG so that the motor MG outputs torque corresponding to the torque command.

[0024] The brake actuator 62 controls the brake device 64 so that a target braking force set by the hybrid ECU 50 is applied to the vehicle by the brake device 64. The brake device 64 is configured, for example, as a hydraulically driven friction brake.

[0025] The display device 66 is, for example, integrated into the installation panel in front of the driver's seat and displays various information and also functions as a touch panel. The driving status indicator 67, although not shown, has an EV indicator and an HV indicator. When the vehicle is running on the motor, the EV indicator lights up and the HV indicator turns off, and when the vehicle is running in hybrid mode, the EV indicator turns off and the HV indicator lights up. The meter 68 is, for example, integrated into the installation panel in front of the driver's seat.

[0026] The DCM (Data Communication Module) 70 transmits information about its own vehicle to the traffic information management center 100 and receives road traffic information from the traffic information management center 100. Information about the own vehicle may include, for example, its location, speed, power, and driving mode. Road traffic information may include, for example, information about current and future congestion, current average speed and predicted future average speed for sections of the driving route, traffic regulations, weather, road surface conditions, and map information. The DCM 70 communicates with the traffic information management center 100 at predetermined intervals (for example, every 30 seconds, every minute, every two minutes, etc.).

[0027] The navigation system 80 is a system that guides the vehicle to a set destination and comprises a display unit 82 and a map information database 84. The display unit 82 is a functional block that has the function of displaying the route to the destination and the vehicle's position on the display device 66 based on map information. The navigation system 80 communicates with the traffic information management center 100 via a DCM (Data Communication Module) 70. When a destination or waypoint is set, the navigation system 80 sets a route based on the destination and waypoint information, the current location (current position of the vehicle) information obtained by GPS 22, and the information stored in the map information database 84. The navigation system 80 then communicates with the traffic information management center 100 at predetermined intervals (for example, every 3 minutes or every 5 minutes) to obtain road traffic information and provides route guidance based on the road traffic information. The map information stored in the map information database 84 includes not only map data but also road gradients, road types, and elevations for each driving section.

[0028] When providing route guidance, the navigation system 80 obtains road traffic information from the traffic information management center 100 (or at predetermined intervals) and generates predictive information based on the road traffic information obtained from the traffic information management center 100, including information on each driving section within the driving route, information on driving load, the vehicle's speed, driving power, and driving mode, and transmits this information to the hybrid ECU 50. The predictive information also includes information on the vehicle itself, such as its position, speed, driving power, and driving mode, as well as information on current and future congestion, information on the current average speed and predicted future average speed for sections along the driving route, information on traffic regulations, weather information, road surface condition information, and map information. Map information also includes areas where motor driving should be performed (motor driving areas) as defined by municipalities, etc. The navigation system 80 can also set motor driving areas by specifying an area such as the area near the user's home. The navigation system 80 stores locations where the vehicle has been stopped for a period of time longer than necessary, to the point where the exhaust purification device attached to the engine EG needs to be warmed up the next time the system is started, as long-term parking locations in the map information. The navigation system 80 also transmits a signal to the hybrid ECU 50 indicating whether or not the vehicle is in the motor-driven range while driving.

[0029] Next, we will explain the operation of the hybrid vehicle 20 configured in this way, particularly the motor driving area driving process performed when driving in the motor driving area and the long-term parking process performed when a long-term parking location is anticipated. Here, the motor driving area driving process includes a process to increase the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 40 before entering the set motor driving area, thereby enabling motor driving in the motor driving area. The long-term parking process includes a process to decrease the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 40 before entering the long-term parking location, thereby increasing the load on the engine EG when starting the engine EG immediately after stopping to warm up the purification device attached to the exhaust system, thereby aiming for early warm-up completion and improved charging efficiency. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the motor driving area driving process performed by the hybrid ECU 50, and Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the long-term parking location process performed by the hybrid ECU 50. These processes are performed repeatedly. They will be explained in order below.

[0030] When motor driving area driving process is executed, the hybrid ECU 50 first determines whether the lookahead information has been updated (step S100). If it is determined that the lookahead information has been updated, it obtains information on the planned or estimated driving route within a predetermined range from the current location (step S110). The predetermined range can be 5km, 10km, 15km, etc. The planned driving route is the driving route planned by the navigation system 80 as route guidance from the current location to the destination once the destination is set, and the estimated driving route is the driving route estimated to be driven from the current location. In addition to the lookahead information described above, the information obtained includes the presence or absence of a motor driving area, the start and end points of the motor driving area if one exists, points where charging requests are made before the motor driving area, and long-term parking locations. Next, it determines whether there is a motor driving area in the planned or estimated driving route within the predetermined range (step S120). If it is determined that there is a motor driving area, the motor driving flag Fev is set to a value of 1 (step S130), and the process proceeds to step S140.

[0031] If it is determined in step S100 that the look-ahead information has not been updated, the motor travel flag Fev is kept unchanged and the process proceeds to step S140. If it is determined in step S100 that the look-ahead information has been updated, but it is determined in step S120 that there is no motor travel area in the planned or estimated travel path within a predetermined range, the motor travel flag Fev is not set to a value of 1 and the process proceeds to step S140.

[0032] Next, it is determined whether the motor travel flag Fev is valued at 1 (step S140). If it is determined that the motor travel flag Fev is valued at 0, it is determined that there is no motor travel area within the planned or estimated travel path within a predetermined range from the current location, and this process is terminated.

[0033] If it is determined in step S140 that the motor driving flag Fev is valued at 1, the calculation of the distance Dev to the starting point of the motor driving area begins (step S150). Then, after waiting for the distance Dev to the starting point of the motor driving area to become less than the distance Dchg to the charging start point before the starting point of the motor driving area (step S160), a pre-charge request is made to increase the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 40 (step S170). Here, the charging start point is defined as a point a predetermined distance (for example, 1km or 2km) before the starting point of the motor driving area, and step S160 is a determination of whether or not the distance Dev has fallen below the predetermined distance. When a pre-charge request is made, the hybrid ECU 50 generates electricity with the motor MG using the power obtained by operating the engine EG, and charges the battery 40 with this generated electricity.

[0034] Next, after waiting for the distance Dev to the starting point of the motor driving area to become 0 or less (step S180), a motor driving request is made (step S190). When a motor driving request is made, the hybrid ECU 50 sets the motor driving mode to driving mode and controls the vehicle to drive using only the power from the motor MG with the engine EG stopped.

[0035] Then, after waiting for the motor driving region to pass or the control termination condition to be met (step S200), the motor driving flag Fev is reset to value 0 (step S210), a normal driving request is made (step S220), and this process ends. The control termination condition includes when the system is stopped (IG off). When a normal driving request is made, the hybrid ECU 50 controls the driving mode to normal driving mode.

[0036] When processing for long-term parking locations is executed, the hybrid ECU 50 first determines whether the lookahead information has been updated (step S300). If it is determined that the lookahead information has been updated, it obtains information on the planned or estimated driving route within a predetermined range from the current location (step S310). The predetermined range, planned driving route, estimated driving route, and information to be obtained are described above. Next, it determines whether there is a long-term parking location within the planned or estimated driving route within the predetermined range (step S320). If it is determined that there is a long-term parking location, it sets the long-term parking flag Fstop to a value of 1 (step S330) and proceeds to step S340.

[0037] If it is determined in step S300 that the lookahead information has not been updated, the long-time stop flag Fstop is kept unchanged and the process proceeds to step S340. If it is determined in step S300 that the lookahead information has been updated, but it is determined in step S320 that there are no long-time stop locations within the predetermined range of the planned or estimated route, the long-time stop flag Fstop is not set to a value of 1 and the process proceeds to step S340.

[0038] Next, it is determined whether the long-term stop flag Fstop has a value of 1 (step S340). If it is determined that the long-term stop flag Fstop has a value of 0, it is determined that there are no long-term stopping locations within a predetermined range of the planned or estimated travel route from the current location, and this process is terminated.

[0039] If the long-term stop flag Fstop is determined to be value 1 in step S340, the motor driving flag Fev is determined to be value 0 or not (step S350). If the motor driving flag Fev is determined to be value 0, the calculation of the distance Dstop to the long-term stop location is started (step S360). Then, while the motor driving flag Fev is value 0, the system waits until the distance Dev to the long-term stop location falls below the distance Ddischg to the discharge start point (steps S370, S380), and then requests a SOC reduction to lower the charge level SOC of the battery 40 (step S390). When a SOC reduction request is made, the hybrid ECU 50 controls the system so that the charge level SOC of the battery 40 gradually decreases.

[0040] Next, the system waits for the termination condition to be met while the motor travel flag Fev is valued at 0 (steps S400, S410), resets the long-time stop flag Fstop to value 0 (step S410), requests normal driving (step S420), and terminates this process. The termination condition includes the condition of arriving at a long-time stop location.

[0041] If the motor driving flag Fev becomes 1 while waiting for the distance Dev to the long-term parking location to fall below the distance Ddischg to the discharge start point, the motor driving flag Fev is determined to be 1 in step S370, the long-term parking flag Fstop is reset to 0 (step S410), a normal driving request is made (step S420), and this process ends. In other words, priority is given to control that increases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 in order to drive in the motor driving area. Also, if the motor driving flag Fev becomes 1 before the termination condition is met, even if control to gradually decrease the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 has started when the distance Dev to the long-term parking location falls below the distance Ddischg to the discharge start point, the motor driving flag Fev is determined to be 1 in step S370, the long-term parking flag Fstop is reset to 0 (step S410), a normal driving request is made (step S420), and this process ends. In this case as well, priority is given to control that increases the State of Charge (SOC) of the battery 40 in order to travel in the motor-driven range.

[0042] If it is determined in step S350 that the motor travel flag Fev is valued at 1, the long-time stop flag Fstop is reset to value 0 (step S410), a normal travel request is made (step S420), and this process is terminated. In other words, even if there is a long-time stop location within a predetermined range of the planned or estimated travel route from the current location, if the motor travel flag Fev is valued at 1, control over the long-time stop location is prohibited.

[0043] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the time change in the state of charge (SOC) of battery 40 in an embodiment and a comparative example where the vicinity of the home is set as the motor driving area. Consider the case where the area around the home is set as the motor driving area and the home is remembered as a long-term parking location. In the figure, the motor driving area is from point P4 to the home, point P3 is the charging start point before the start of the motor driving area, and point P2 is the discharge start point when the home is a long-term parking location. The dashed line shows the time change in the SOC when the home is passed, and point P5 is the point where the passage of the home is determined. The comparative example is the case where control to increase the SOC of battery 40 from the charging start point P3 before the motor driving area and control to decrease the SOC of battery 40 from the discharge start point P2 before the long-term parking location interfere with each other. In the comparative example, control to decrease the SOC of battery 40 starts from time T2 when the vehicle reaches the discharge start point P2 before the long-term parking location, and the SOC gradually decreases. Subsequently, from time T3, when the vehicle reaches charging start point P3 before the motor driving area, control is initiated to increase the charge level SOC of the battery 40, and the charge level SOC gradually increases. Then, when the vehicle reaches the starting point P4 of the motor driving area, the charge level SOC decreases due to motor driving. On the other hand, in this embodiment, when the vehicle determines at time T1, when it arrives at point P1, that the home is located within a predetermined range of the planned or estimated driving route from the current location, the motor driving flag Fev is set to a value of 1. Therefore, control to decrease the charge level SOC of the battery 40 is not performed even after time T2, when the vehicle reaches discharging start point P2 before the long-term parking area. From time T3, when the vehicle reaches charging start point P3 before the motor driving area, control is initiated to increase the charge level SOC of the battery 40, and the charge level SOC gradually increases. Then, when the vehicle reaches the starting point P4 of the motor driving area, the charge level SOC decreases due to motor driving. Furthermore, once the vehicle passes the home, motor-driven operation continues until time T6 when the vehicle reaches point P5, and thereafter it operates under normal driving conditions. In this embodiment, the fluctuation in the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 40 is smaller compared to the comparative example, resulting in better energy efficiency.

[0044] Thus, prioritizing control that increases the battery's state of charge (SOC) for motor-driven operation over control that decreases the SOC for long-term parking is based on the belief that motor-driven operation within the designated motor-driven area, as defined by municipalities and users, takes precedence over improving charging efficiency during the warm-up of the purifying system after long-term parking.

[0045] In the hybrid vehicle of the embodiment described above, the control that increases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 before entering the motor driving area is prioritized over the control that decreases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 before entering a place where the vehicle will be parked for an extended period. This makes it possible to avoid interference between the control that decreases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 before entering a place where the vehicle will be parked for an extended period and the control that increases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 before entering the motor driving area. Moreover, even when the control that decreases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 before entering a place where the vehicle will be parked for an extended period is being executed, if the execution of the control that increases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 before entering the motor driving area is predicted (when the motor driving flag Fev is set to a value of 1), the control that decreases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 before entering a place where the vehicle will be parked for an extended period is immediately stopped, thereby enabling the control that increases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 before entering the motor driving area to be executed more appropriately.

[0046] In this embodiment, the control that increases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 before reaching the motor-driven area is prioritized over the control that decreases the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 before reaching a long-term parking area. However, any first control or any second control is acceptable, as long as the second control that controls the engine EG and motor MG so that the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 increases before reaching a second point area, which is estimated or set as a point or area where it is preferable to reach a large charge level (SOC), is prioritized over the first control that controls the engine EG and motor MG so that the charge level (SOC) of the battery 40 decreases before reaching a first point area, which is estimated or set as a point or area where it is preferable to reach a small charge level (SOC) of the battery 40.

[0047] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem will be explained. In the embodiment, the engine EG corresponds to "engine", the motor MG corresponds to "motor", the battery 40 corresponds to "energy storage device", and the hybrid electronic control unit 50 corresponds to "control device".

[0048] Furthermore, the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem is merely an example to specifically explain the form in which the embodiment implements the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem, and does not limit the elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem should be based on the description in that section, and the embodiment is merely one specific example of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem.

[0049] Although the present disclosure has been described above using embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and can of course be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. [Industrial applicability]

[0050] This disclosure can be used in industries such as the hybrid vehicle manufacturing industry. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 20 Hybrid vehicle, 21 Ignition switch, 22 GPS, 24 Onboard camera, 26 Millimeter-wave radar, 28 Acceleration sensor, 30 Vehicle speed sensor, 32 Accelerator sensor, 34 Brake sensor, 36 Mode selector switch, 38 Battery actuator, 40 Battery, 42 Air conditioning electronic control unit (Air conditioning ECU), 44 Air conditioning compressor, 50 Hybrid electronic control unit (Hybrid ECU), 60 Accelerator actuator, 62 Brake actuator, 64 Brake system, 66 Display device, 67 Driving status indicator, 68 Meter, 70 DCM, 80 Navigation system, 82 Display unit, 84 Map information database, 100 Traffic information management center, EG Engine, MG Motor.

Claims

1. An engine capable of outputting power for driving, A motor capable of outputting power for propulsion, A power storage device capable of exchanging power with the motor, A control device that performs: a control for a first location area, which controls the engine and the motor to drive in such a way that the charge level of the energy storage device decreases before reaching a first location area, which is estimated or set as a location or area where it is preferable to reach the energy storage device with a low charge level; and a control for a second location area, which is estimated or set as a location or area where electric driving, in which the engine is stopped and the vehicle is driven solely by the motor, is set, in which the engine is stopped and the vehicle is driven solely by the motor. A hybrid vehicle equipped with, The control device prohibits the execution of the first point area control when the execution of the second point area control is estimated or planned within a predetermined distance range. A hybrid vehicle characterized by the following features.

2. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, The first location area is a location or area where a long-term stop is expected. Hybrid vehicle.

3. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2 The control for the second point region further controls the engine and the motor to drive the vehicle so that the charge storage ratio of the energy storage device increases before reaching the second point region. Hybrid vehicle.

4. A control method for a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine capable of outputting power for driving, a motor capable of outputting power for driving, and a power storage device capable of exchanging power with the motor, It is possible to perform a first-point area control, which involves controlling the engine and the motor to drive in such a way that the charge level of the energy storage device decreases before reaching a first point area, which is estimated or set as a point or area where it is preferable to reach the point or area where the charge level of the energy storage device is low; and a second-point area control, which involves stopping the engine and driving in such a way that the engine is stopped and the vehicle is driven solely by the motor, within a second point area, which is estimated or set as a point or area where electric driving is set to occur. Furthermore, when the execution of the control for the second point area is estimated or planned within a predetermined distance range, the execution of the control for the first point area is prohibited. A control method for a hybrid vehicle characterized by the following features.

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