Patent ID: 6810977
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: B60K,B60L,B60W,F01P,F02D,F02N,Y02T,Y10S

Abstract:
A hybrid vehicle, comprising:a power train including an engine, a battery and a motor, the hybrid vehicle being selectively driven by at least one of the engine and the motor using the battery as a power supply;a heat accumulator that holds at least a portion of cooling water of the engine to be kept warmed; a pump that feeds the cooling water held in the heat accumulator into the engine; an engine starting unit that includes at least one of the motor and an electrically operated starter; and a power supply controller operative to start the engine in response to a request for starting the engine, wherein the power supply controller operates the pump to feed the cooling water in the heat accumulator into the engine upon the request for starting the engine, operates the engine starting unit to start the engine upon an elapse of a predetermined time period after the cooling water in the heat accumulator starts being fed to the engine, actuates the engine starting unit when the cooling water in the engine reaches a predetermined temperature due to operation of the pump, and actuates the engine starting unit upon detection that an operating amount of an accelerator pedal is equal to or greater than a threshold value before the cooling water in the engine reaches the predetermined temperature.