Control device of hybrid vehicle

A control device of a hybrid vehicle for controlling a hybrid vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine in which a catalyst is provided in an exhaust passage, a motor, and a battery supplying electric power to the motor and being configured to be charged by output of the internal combustion engine,

• the control device of a hybrid vehicle comprising:
• an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to:
• set in advance a driving mode when the hybrid vehicle is being driven;
• control outputs of the internal combustion engine and the motor based on the driving mode;
• and
• set a lower limit value of a state of charge of the battery, wherein
• in response to the hybrid vehicle being driven from a departure point through at least one via point to a final destination, the ECU is configured to divide a plurality of routes each having a via point as at least one of a starting point and an end point into pluralities of sections, and set driving modes of all sections of at least one route to an EV mode in which the internal combustion engine is stopped and drive use power is output by only the motor, and the at least one via point is a point where the hybrid vehicle stops and the internal combustion engine is stopped,
• in response to an actual state of charge of the battery becoming lower than the lower limit value, the ECU is configured to change the driving mode set by the driving plan generating part so that the actual state of charge is maintained or becomes higher, and
• the ECU is configured to lower the lower limit value at an EV route where the driving modes of all of the sections are set to the EV mode, compared with a non-EV route other than the EV route.