Control apparatus for hybrid vehicle

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle provided with an engine and an electric motor serving as a vehicle drive power source, a power transmitting system for transmitting a drive force of said vehicle drive power source to a drive wheel, an electric-energy storage device for storing an electric energy to be supplied to said electric motor, and a lubricant supply device which is operatively connected to said engine and operated by a rotary motion of the engine to supply a lubricant to at least a portion of said power transmitting system, the control apparatus being configured:

• to permit running of the hybrid vehicle in a motor drive mode in which only said electric motor is operated as the vehicle drive power source, with the electric energy supplied from said electric-energy storage device while the rotary motion of said engine is stopped;
• to operate a motor running counter in said motor drive mode, to count continuation of said motor drive mode without the rotary motion of said engine, and to operate said engine for operating said lubricant supply device to supply a predetermined amount of the lubricant, when a count of said motor running counter has reached a predetermined upper limit;
• to permit charging of said electric-energy storage device with an electric energy supplied from an external electric power source provided outside said hybrid vehicle, while said hybrid vehicle is held stationary;
• and
• to operate said engine for operating said lubricant supply device to supply said predetermined amount of the lubricant, during charging of said electric-energy storage device by said external electric power source, irrespective of whether the count of said motor running counter has reached said predetermined upper limit, and to reset said motor running counter.