Patent ID: 6889126

Claim:
A hybrid electric vehicle comprising: an accelerator pedal; an engine consuming fuel in order to output a rotating torque; a first motor connected to the engine, the first motor generating electric power in response to the rotating torque of the engine while generating a rotating torque to accelerate the engine in response to power supply; a second motor generating a drive torque for the vehicle in response to power supply; a power storage device connected electrically with the first motor and the second motor, the power storage device supplying power to the first motor and the second motor while accumulating power generated by the first motor; a sensor detecting a depression amount of the accelerator pedal; a sensor detecting a rotation speed of the engine; and a programmable controller programmed to: set a target drive torque for the vehicle in response to the depression amount of the accelerator pedal; supply power corresponding to the target drive torque to the second motor from the power storage device; calculate an available power supply amount to the first motor by subtracting a power supply amount to the second motor from an available output power of the power storage device; calculate a target rotation speed of the engine based on the target drive torque; and supply power to the first motor from the power storage device within a range which does not exceed the available power supply amount to the first motor, when the available power supply amount to the first motor is a positive value and the target rotation speed of the engine exceeds the rotation speed of the engine.