Patent ID: 7128037

Claim:
A method for starting an internal combustion engine of a hybrid drive of a standing motor vehicle in case of a failure of an electric power supply, the internal combustion engine and at least one electric motor being mechanically linkable to an output shaft of the hybrid drive via a gear system, the method comprising: placing the output shaft of the hybrid drive in rotary motion; switching at least one of the at least one electric motor to a generator mode by the gear system and by a control system, wherein each of the at least one electric motor of the hybrid drive is first operated in idle mode, and the at least one electric motor is switched to generator mode only after a presettable amount of external kinetic energy has been applied to the motor vehicle by one of pushing the vehicle, towing the vehicle, and pushing the vehicle down an inclined plane; and transmitting the kinetic energy from the output shaft to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, thereby cranking the internal combustion engine.