Patent ID: 8358046

Claim:
A hybrid electric power system for powering a multi-wheeled hybrid electric vehicle comprising: a thermodynamic engine powered by a fuel, said engine mechanically connected to drive a first electrical machine; a second electrical machine adapted to drive at least one driven wheel of said vehicle; and at least one electrical energy storage system operable to store electrical energy generated by at least one of said first or second electrical machines; wherein at least one of said first and second electrical machines is a segmented electrical machine comprising: (a) a plurality of pairs of stator segments, each said pair comprising first and second stator segments, each first and second stator segment of each said pair comprising at least one stator winding; and (b) a rotor segment comprising at least one magnet; wherein each of said pairs of stator segments are physically separate from and substantially magnetically decoupled from each other of said pair of stator segments.