Method and apparatus for emissions mitigation on a hybrid vehicle

A emissions mitigation system of a hybrid automobile vehicle, comprising:

• an automobile vehicle provided with motive power from:
• a battery pack;
• an engine;
• and
• a controller in communication with the battery pack and the engine;
• a predetermined threshold battery pack state-of-charge (SOC);
• a minimum battery pack SOC less than the threshold battery pack SOC;
• and
• an engine-on charge depletion (EOCD) command issued by the controller to start the engine in an engine-catalyst light-off operation condition when the automobile vehicle is operating using power from the battery pack and when the threshold battery pack state-of-charge (SOC) is reached to mitigate against exceeding vehicle emissions standards.

A method of operating an emissions mitigation system of a hybrid automobile vehicle, comprising:

• measuring battery metrics of a battery pack during operation of the automobile vehicle using power of the battery pack;
• confirming if a capability reduction of the battery pack has occurred;
• if a response to the confirming step is YES indicating a capability reduction of the battery pack has occurred, identifying a state-of-charge (SOC) transition point and an adjusted SOC transition point defining a threshold battery pack SOC;
• automatically starting an engine when the threshold battery pack SOC is reached before a charge-depletion/charge-sustaining transition point defining the SOC transition point is reached;
• and
• operating the engine “shielded” defined as the engine not supporting a vehicle load demand until the engine reaches a predetermined minimum threshold temperature.