Patent ID: 6866610

Claim:
A control apparatus for a vehicle including an internal combustion engine capable of controlling an engine load, and a continuously variable transmission coupled to an output side of the internal combustion engine and capable of controlling an output speed of the internal combustion engine, the control apparatus comprising: an exhaust purifying device disposed in an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine and operable to purify an exhaust gas while consuming a fuel; and a controller that: determines a first operating point at which a total fuel consumption amount is minimized as an optimal operating point, the total fuel consumption amount being obtained by adding an amount of a fuel consumed by the exhaust puritying device to an amount of a fuel consumed by the internal combustion engine for generating a required output; and controls the engine load of the internal combustion engine and also controls a speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission so that the internal combustion engine operates at the optimal operating point.