Method for recuperating energy in a hybrid vehicle, which hybrid vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine, an electrical machine and preferably an automatic stop/start apparatus by means of which the internal combustion engine can be automatically turned off and started under predetermined conditions, and which hybrid vehicle has an on-board electrical system comprising an energy store which can be charged with electrical energy by the electrical machine during the recuperation operation, wherein a recuperation power (P_act) for a recuperation operation of the electrical machine (a) is set to a first value (P_max) which allows a recuperation operation with a maximum generator capacity of the electrical machine if an actual energy level (E_act) of the energy store is lower than or equal to a threshold value (E_3); and (b) is set to a second value (P_lim) which is lower than the first value (P_max) and allows a recuperation operation with a reduced generator capacity of the electrical machine if the actual energy level (E_act) of the energy store is greater than the threshold value (E_3), characterized that the second value (P_lim) for the recuperation power (P_act) of the recuperation operation of the electrical machine (a) is in each case set such that the energy store would be fully charged at the end of a subsequent recuperation process if the motor vehicle were to be braked from the current driving state at least to a speed threshold value (v_min), wherein the speed threshold value preferably indicates a speed limit above which energy can be recuperated during the recuperation operation and below which a recuperation operation is not possible; and/or (b) is calculated in accordance with the formula P_lim = ((E_max - E_act) + P_on-board*t_rec))/ t_rec, where E_max indicates a maximum energy level and E_act indicates an actual energy level of the energy store and P_on-board indicates an average on-board electrical system load and t_rec indicates an estimate for a duration of a recuperation process which can be estimated from the difference between the actual vehicle speed (v_act) and the speed threshold value (v_min) divided by an assumed average vehicle deceleration. (a) is set to a first value (P_max) which allows a recuperation operation with a maximum generator capacity of the electrical machine if an actual energy level (E_act) of the energy store is lower than or equal to a threshold value (E_3); and (b) is set to a second value (P_lim) which is lower than the first value (P_max) and allows a recuperation operation with a reduced generator capacity of the electrical machine if the actual energy level (E_act) of the energy store is greater than the threshold value (E_3), (a) is in each case set such that the energy store would be fully charged at the end of a subsequent recuperation process if the motor vehicle were to be braked from the current driving state at least to a speed threshold value (v_min), wherein the speed threshold value preferably indicates a speed limit above which energy can be recuperated during the recuperation operation and below which a recuperation operation is not possible; and/or (b) is calculated in accordance with the formula P_lim = ((E_max - E_act) + P_on-board*t_rec))/ t_rec, where E_max indicates a maximum energy level and E_act indicates an actual energy level of the energy store and P_on-board indicates an average on-board electrical system load and t_rec indicates an estimate for a duration of a recuperation process which can be estimated from the difference between the actual vehicle speed (v_act) and the speed threshold value (v_min) divided by an assumed average vehicle deceleration. <EOS>