Hybrid vehicle

A hybrid vehicle, comprising:

• an engine;
• a flywheel having an external gear that is connected to an output shaft of the engine;
• a motor;
• a power split mechanism that performs a differential action among a first rotary element connected to the flywheel, a second rotary element connected to the motor, and a third rotary element connected to a pair of drive wheels;
• a locking gear that is allowed to reciprocate between a locking position in which the locking gear is engaged with the external gear of the flywheel, and a disengagement position in which the locking gear is disengaged from the external gear of the flywheel;
• an actuator that pushes the locking gear to the engagement position so as to establish a brake torque counteracting a torque of the external gear of the flywheel, and that withdraws the locking gear from the external gear of the flywheel;
• and
• a torque limiter that stops a rotation of the locking gear when a torque applied to the locking gear is less than an upper limit torque, and that allows the locking gear to rotate when the torque applied to the locking gear is equal to the upper limit torque or greater, wherein the locking gear is mounted on a support shaft, and the torque limiter is configured to apply the torque to the support shaft to stop the rotation of the locking gear by a frictional force,
• wherein an operating mode of the hybrid vehicle includes:
• a first mode in which the hybrid vehicle is propelled by a drive torque generated by the motor while positioning the locking gear in the locking position to engage the locking gear with the external gear of the flywheel and;
• and
• a second mode in which the hybrid vehicle is propelled while positioning the locking gear in the disengagement position to disengage the locking gear from the external gear of the flywheel.