Patent ID: 7238133

Claim:
A control apparatus for use with a driving device of a vehicle, the driving device including (A) a non-step speed change portion which includes (a1) a differential device that distributes an output of an engine to a first electric motor and a transmission member, and (a2) a second electric motor that is provided in a power transmission path from the transmission member to a plurality of drive wheels, and which is operable as an electric, continuously variable transmission, and (B) an automatic speed change portion which constitutes a portion of the power transmission path and functions as an automatic transmission, the control apparatus comprising: a vehicle behavior stabilization controller which is for stabilizing a behavior of the vehicle when the behavior of the vehicle is unstable; a coupling device which is selectively switchable to (a) a released state thereof in which the coupling device places the non-step speed change portion in a non-step speed change state thereof in which the non-step speed change portion is operable as the electric continuously variable transmission, and (b) an engaged state thereof in which the coupling device places the non-step speed change portion in a stepwise speed change state thereof in which the non-step speed change portion is not operable as the electric continuously variable transmission; and a vehicle-stabilization-related switching controller which switches, when the vehicle behavior stabilization controller performs a vehicle behavior stabilization control, the coupling device to the released state thereof.