US 2026/0200459 A1Published application

Engine starting system for electric vehicle

AssigneeMazda Motor Corporation

InventorsTadashi Saito, Yuki Hikichi, Takayuki Mikami, Shinji Takayama, Taiga Kamiji, Tomokuni Kusunoki

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Abstract

An engine starting system for an electric vehicle includes a controller that switches between a first travel mode, in which a vehicle travels by torque of a motor, and a second travel mode, in which the vehicle travels by torque of a multicylinder engine and the motor. In a case where a switching condition from the first travel mode to the second travel mode is satisfied, the controller reduces an air amount supplied to the engine to a predetermined amount by engaging a clutch and reducing an opening amount of a throttle valve, and then supplies fuel to some cylinders of the engine to start cylinder cut-off operation of the engine; and supplies fuel to all the cylinders to switch the engine from the cylinder cut-off operation to full-cylinder operation in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied after a start of the cylinder cut-off operation.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An engine starting system for an electric vehicle, the engine starting system comprising:

a multicylinder engine that is mounted on a vehicle and generates torque for travel of the vehicle;
a throttle valve that is located in an intake passage connected to the multicylinder engine and adjusts an air amount supplied to the multicylinder engine;
a fuel injection valve that is attached to the multicylinder engine and injects fuel supplied to cylinders of the multicylinder engine;
a motor that is mounted on the vehicle and generates torque for the travel of the vehicle together with or independently of the multicylinder engine;
a clutch that is located between the multicylinder engine and the motor, connects the multicylinder engine and the motor during engagement, and disconnects the multicylinder engine and the motor during disengagement;
and
a controller that outputs a control signal of the throttle valve, the fuel injection valve, the motor, or the clutch, wherein
the controller switches between a first travel mode, in which the vehicle travels by torque of the motor when the clutch disconnects the multicylinder engine and the motor, and a second travel mode, in which the vehicle travels by torque of the multicylinder engine and the motor when the clutch connects the multicylinder engine and the motor, and
in a case where a switching condition from the first travel mode to the second travel mode is satisfied, the controller is configured to:
reduce the air amount supplied to the multicylinder engine to a predetermined amount by engaging the clutch and reducing an opening amount of the throttle valve, and then supply fuel to some of the cylinders of the multicylinder engine to start a cylinder cut-off operation of the multicylinder engine;
and
supply fuel to all the cylinders of the multicylinder engine to switch the multicylinder engine from the cylinder cut-off operation to a full-cylinder operation in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied after a start of the cylinder cut-off operation.

9 more elements

An engine starting method for an electric vehicle including a multicylinder engine that is mounted on a vehicle and generates torque for travel of the vehicle, a throttle valve that is located in an intake passage connected to the multicylinder engine and adjusts an air amount supplied to the multicylinder engine, a fuel injection valve that is attached to the multicylinder engine and injects fuel supplied to cylinders of the multicylinder engine, a motor that is mounted on the vehicle and generates torque for the travel of the vehicle together with or independently of the multicylinder engine, a clutch that is located between the multicylinder engine and the motor, connects the multicylinder engine and the motor during engagement and disconnects the multicylinder engine and the motor during disengagement, and a controller that outputs a control signal of the throttle valve, the fuel injection valve, the motor, or the clutch, the engine starting method comprising:

switching the controller between a first travel mode, in which the vehicle travels by torque of the motor when the clutch disconnects the multicylinder engine and the motor, and a second travel mode, in which the vehicle travels by torque of the multicylinder engine and the motor when the clutch connects the multicylinder engine and the motor, and
in a case where a switching condition from the first travel mode to the second travel mode is satisfied, via the controller:
reducing the air amount supplied to the multicylinder engine to a predetermined amount by engaging the clutch and reducing an opening amount of the throttle valve, and then supplying fuel to some of the cylinders of the multicylinder engine to start a cylinder cut-off operation of the multicylinder engine;
and
supplying fuel to all the cylinders of the multicylinder engine to switch the multicylinder engine from the cylinder cut-off operation to a full-cylinder operation in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied after a start of the cylinder cut-off operation.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/416,207Filed 11 Dec 2025
Priority: JP 2025-00453014 Jan 2025
Published: 16 Jul 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

B60W 20/40
Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles: controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between…
B60W 10/02
Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function: including control of driveline clutches
B60W 10/06
Including control of propulsion units: including control of combustion engines
B60W 10/08
Including control of propulsion units: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators