An electric vehicle comprising: a body portion ; an operating section that detects an operating direction of an inputted operation; an obstacle sensor that detects obstacles existing in a vicinity of the body portion; an obstacle determination section that forms a search region extending from the body portion in the operating direction and determines an obstacle existing in the search region among obstacles detected by the obstacle sensor, as the obstacle to be avoided; and a control section that controls a movement of the body portion so that the body portion avoids the obstacle to be avoided, determined by the obstacle determination section characterised in that the operating section detects the operating direction and an operating amount of the inputted operation, the obstacle determination section changes a shape of the search region , depending on magnitude of the operating amount, or magnitude of an operating force calculated based on the operating direction and the operating amount, the electric vehicle further comprising a virtual repulsive force calculation section that calculates a virtual repulsive force to move the body portion away from the obstacle determined by the obstacle determination section ; and a resultant force calculation section that calculates a resultant force composed of the operating force calculated based on the operating direction and the operating amount of the inputted operation, and the virtual repulsive force, wherein the control section controls the movement of the body portion so that the body portion moves in a direction of the resultant force and the resultant force calculation section calculates the resultant force by combining a component of the virtual repulsive force which is perpendicular to a direction of the operating force, and the operating force. a body portion ; an operating section that detects an operating direction of an inputted operation; an obstacle sensor that detects obstacles existing in a vicinity of the body portion; an obstacle determination section that forms a search region extending from the body portion in the operating direction and determines an obstacle existing in the search region among obstacles detected by the obstacle sensor, as the obstacle to be avoided; and a control section that controls a movement of the body portion so that the body portion avoids the obstacle to be avoided, determined by the obstacle determination section characterised in that the operating section detects the operating direction and an operating amount of the inputted operation, the obstacle determination section changes a shape of the search region , depending on magnitude of the operating amount, or magnitude of an operating force calculated based on the operating direction and the operating amount, the electric vehicle further comprising a virtual repulsive force calculation section that calculates a virtual repulsive force to move the body portion away from the obstacle determined by the obstacle determination section ; and a resultant force calculation section that calculates a resultant force composed of the operating force calculated based on the operating direction and the operating amount of the inputted operation, and the virtual repulsive force, wherein the control section controls the movement of the body portion so that the body portion moves in a direction of the resultant force and the resultant force calculation section calculates the resultant force by combining a component of the virtual repulsive force which is perpendicular to a direction of the operating force, and the operating force. <EOS>