Patent ID: 6867509

Claim:
A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a motor as drive power sources, and having a transmission that is disposed between the engine and a vehicle drive wheel and that changes drive power transmission by selection from a plurality of gear speeds, the control apparatus comprising: a controller that detects a drive power requested for the vehicle drive wheel and that adjusts the drive power by setting an engine output increase, a motor output increase, and a gear speed change by increasing a gear ratio, in an order of descending priorities of: (1) the engine output increase, (2) the motor output increase, and (3) the gear speed change by increasing the gear ratio, so as to achieve the drive power requested; wherein the controller (a) initially selects a gear speed of a low gear ratio within a range such that an engine revolution speed higher than or equal to a predetermined lower limit revolution speed is attainable; (b) achieves the requested drive power singly by the engine output with the gear speed selected; otherwise (c) achieves the requested drive power by the engine output and motor output when the requested drive power is not achievable singly by the engine output; otherwise (d) changes the year speed by increasing a gear ratio when the requested drive power is not achievable by the engine output and the motor output.