A hybrid electric vehicle and a method therefor

摘要

A method for optimizing the operational efficiency of a hybrid electric vehicle 10 is disclosed. The method comprises operating an engine 511 of the hybrid electric vehicle 10 whenever possible on an optimized power curve of the engine 511 so as to maximise the efficiency of the engine. When no charging of a battery 410 is required the running torque of the engine 511 is reduced below an optimized torque curve to a point that the power produced by the engine 511 is substantially equal to the power demanded solely for driving the hybrid electric vehicle 10.