Patent ID: 8894542

Claim:
A vehicle drive system including: a motor that generates driving force to drive a vehicle; a motor controller that controls the motor; a connection/disconnection unit that is provided on a power transmission line between the motor and a wheel and which puts a motor side and a wheel side in a connected state or a disconnected state by being applied or released; and a connection/disconnection unit controller that controls the connection/disconnection unit, the system further including: a one-way transmission unit that is provided in parallel with the connection/disconnection unit on the power transmission line between the motor and the wheel and which is configured so that the one-way transmission unit is put in an engaged state when a forward rotational power on the motor side is inputted into the wheel side and is put in a disengaged state when a backward rotational power on the motor side is inputted into the wheel side, while the one-way transmission unit is put in the disengaged state when a forward rotational power on the wheel side is inputted into the motor side and is put in the engaged state when a backward rotational power on the wheel side is inputted into the motor side, wherein the connection/disconnection unit controller causes the connection/disconnection unit to be applied so as to put the motor side and the wheel side in the connected state when the forward rotational power on the motor side is inputted into the wheel side.