Traveling mode switching controller of hybrid electric vehicle

A traveling mode switching controller of a hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

• a state-of-charge detection unit for detecting a state of charge of a drive battery;
• a driver request output detection unit for detecting a driver request output from an operation amount of an accelerator pedal of a vehicle;
• a correction unit for calculating a vehicle request output by making a correction to the driver request output;
• and
• a switching control unit that, when the vehicle request output exceeds an output threshold value based on the state of charge of the drive battery, controls a switching from a first traveling mode in which an engine is deactivated and a drive motor is activated by means of an electric power supplied from the drive battery to actuate drive wheels to a second traveling mode in which the engine is actuated and the drive wheels are actuated by means of driving power of the engine or in which a generator connected to the engine is actuated and the drive motor is actuated to actuate the drive wheels, wherein
• the switching control unit sets the output threshold value low as the state of charge decreases, thereby changing conditions for switching the first traveling mode to the second traveling mode.