CHARGE/DISCHARGE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR HYBRID VEHICLE, AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR

In a traveling mode for controlling traveling of a hybrid vehicle to maintain a charge amount (SOC) of a power storage device of the hybrid vehicle to fall within a predetermined control range, when a malfunction associated with the power storage device 10 takes place, a control center value SOCr# defining the control range is set higher than a control center value SOCr employed in a normal state and set at a value near a management lower limit value of the SOC. Then, it is permitted to charge/discharge the power storage device. In this way, upon occurrence of a malfunction of a level that does not require immediate interruption of the charging/discharging of the power storage device, a vehicle operation can be continued using the power storage device while protecting the power storage device.