HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND MOTOR CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME

A hybrid electric vehicle is capable of preventing over-temperature of an electric motor when the vehicle travels using only the output of the electric motor without driving an engine while passing through a specific zone using route information to a destination and a motor control method for the same. The motor cooling control method includes, when determined that a specific zone related to discharge of exhaust gas is present on a traveling route, determining a target motor temperature to be reached when entering the specific zone, determining a cooling distance necessary to reach the target motor temperature, determining the time at which to start cooling control using the determined cooling distance, and restricting a motor-driving range from the time at which to start the cooling control until entering the specific zone.