To try to enhance fuel consumption by letting a motor efficiently function, and concurrently, try to enhance response at the time of starting.
It is judged by an ECU whether or not a vehicle running ahead is started to decelerate its vehicle speed, based on the change in intervehicle distance with the vehicle running ahead to be detected by an intervehicle distance sensor 1 while a vehicle is running by means of a gasoline engine. And when the vehicle running ahead is found to have been decelerated, change-over is made from running by means of a gasoline engine to running by means of a motor so as to allow regenerative braking of motor to be utilized. In addition, the stamping action of an accelerator pedal by a driver at the time of starting has been learnt by the ECU 6 in advance, while his own car is stopped behind the vehicle running ahead, and when it is found based on the change in intervehicle distance with the vehicle running ahead that the degree of acceleration of the vehicle running ahead is greater than a specified value, and when it is also judged by the ECU 6 based on the result of aforesaid learning that the degree of acceleration required by the driver is greater than the aforesaid degree of acceleration of the vehicle running ahead, the gasoline engine is driven so as to be added to the operation of the motor, so that the vehicle is thereby started.
ITO TOSHIO
YAMADA KENICHI
HIROSHIMA YASUHISA
