Patent ID: 7672762

Claim:
A hybrid vehicle, comprising: an internal combustion engine; an electric power-mechanical power input output assembly connected with an output shaft of the internal combustion engine and with a driveshaft linked to an axle and constructed to utilize a reactive force on the driveshaft and input and output a torque from and to the output shaft of the internal combustion engine through input and output of electric power and mechanical power; a motor arranged to input and output power from and to the driveshaft; an accumulator configured to transmit electric power to and from the electric power-mechanical power input output assembly and the motor; a temperature detector constructed to detect temperature of the accumulator; an allowable maximum electric power setting module configured to set an allowable maximum electric power to be charged into the accumulator or to be discharged from the accumulator according to the detected temperature of the accumulator; a fuel consumption priority switch operated to give an instruction for a drive with priority to fuel consumption; and an intermittent operation permission/prohibition module configured to, in a setting of the fuel consumption priority switch giving no instruction for the drive with priority to the fuel consumption, prohibit intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine when the set allowable maximum electric power of the accumulator is less than a first electric power and to permit the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine when the set allowable maximum electric power of the accumulator is not less than the first electric power, the intermittent operation permission/prohibition module being configured to, in a setting of the fuel consumption priority switch giving the instruction for the drive with priority to the fuel consumption, prohibit the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine when the set allowable maximum electric power of the accumulator is less than a second electric power that is smaller than the first electric power and to permit the intermittent operation of the internal combustion engine when the set allowable maximum electric power of the accumulator is not less than the second electric power.