Patent ID: 7597164

Claim:
A method of operating a hybrid vehicle, said vehicle comprising: at least two wheels, operable to receive power to propel said hybrid vehicle; a first alternating current (AC) electric motor, operable to provide power to said at least two wheels to propel said hybrid vehicle; a second AC electric motor; an engine coupled to said second electric motor, operable to provide power to said at least two wheels to propel the hybrid vehicle, and/or to said second electric motor to drive the second electric motor to generate electric power, said engine being fitted with a turbocharger operable in response to a control signal to increase the maximum torque output by said engine; a first alternating current-direct current (AC-DC) converter having an AC side coupled to said first electric motor, operable to accept AC or DC and convert the current to DC or AC respectively; a second AC-DC converter coupled to said second electric motor, at least operable to accept AC and convert the AC to DC; an electrical storage device operable to store energy converted to DC by said AC-DC converters and to provide energy to be converted to AC by at least said first AC-DC converter to power at least said first electric motor; and a controller, operable to disable or operate the engine; said method comprising the steps of monitoring a load signal responsive to at least road load, disabling the engine from operating when said load signal corresponds to a value less than a predetermined value, operating the engine when said load signal corresponds to a value at least equal to said predetermined value, disabling said turbocharger when said load signal corresponds to a value less than the maximum normally-aspirated power output of said engine and operating said turbocharger to increase the torque output by said engine when said load signal corresponds to a value exceeding the maximum normally-aspirated power output of said engine for at least a predetermined period of time.