Patent ID: 7473205

Claim:
A hybrid vehicle, comprising: an internal combustion engine that can output power to a drive shaft coupled to an axle via a gear mechanism; a motoring unit that is connected to an output shaft of said internal combustion engine and said drive shaft, and motors said internal combustion engine with input and output of power to and from said drive shaft; a motor that can input and output of power to and from said drive shaft; an estimation module that estimates that motoring resistance, which is resistance of said internal combustion engine in monitoring said internal combustion engine, becomes predetermined resistance or higher; and a starting control module that controls, when a start command of said internal combustion engine is given, said internal combustion engine, said motoring unit, and said motor so that said internal combustion engine is started while meshing gears in said gear mechanism is pressed toward one side by a first torque when it is estimated by said estimation module that said motoring resistance becomes lower than the predetermined resistance, and so that said internal combustion engine is started while the meshing gears in said gear mechanism is pressed toward one side by a second torque larger than said first torque when it is estimated by said estimation module that the motoring resistance becomes said predetermined resistance or higher.