Hybrid electric vehicle drive apparatus

A hybrid electric vehicle drive apparatus including an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, and configured to be driven by power of at least one of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, comprising:

• a maximum torque deriving portion for deriving a maximum torque that the electric motor enables to output;
• a starting torque deriving portion for deriving a starting torque for use in starting the internal combustion engine by the electric motor;
• a torque limit value setting portion for setting a limit value of a driving torque that the electric motor outputs when the vehicle drives with power of the electric motor only, based on the maximum torque and the starting torque;
• a vehicle speed acquiring portion for acquiring a speed of the vehicle;
• and
• an accelerator pedal position degree acquiring portion for acquiring an accelerator pedal position degree,
• wherein the torque limit value setting portion sets the limit value of the driving torque to a first driving torque value and sets the limit value of the driving torque to a second driving torque value which is greater than the first driving torque value when the speed does not increase even though the accelerator pedal position degree increases while the vehicle is being driven only by the electric motor.