Hybrid vehicle and method in which the engine is preheated before start

摘要

When a starter switch is switched from OFF to ON, a hybrid ECU determines that a driver intends to start driving a vehicle (S110), reads a temperature of each of items (coolant inside an engine, injectors, lubricating oil, and the like) (S120), and makes a determination on the necessity of preheating depending on whether or not each of the items has reached a corresponding one of suitable temperature ranges (S130). If preheating is required, the hybrid ECU sets an engine start permission flag F as "0" so as to prohibit the engine from being started (S140), instructs an engine ECU to preheat the item requiring preheating (S150), and terminates a program. On the other hand, in making a determination in S130 on the necessity of preheating depending on whether or not each of the items has reached a corresponding one of the suitable temperature ranges, if every one of the items has reached a corresponding one of the suitable temperature ranges, the hybrid ECU determines that preheating is not required, sets the engine start permission flag F as "1" so as to permit the starting of the engine (S160), and terminates the program.