The present invention has an object of providing an electric vehicle which makes an assisting movement based on an operation by an operator without making a movement when an operator is not operating the electric vehicle or a movement which widely differs from a movement intended by the operator in direction or distance, and a method of controlling the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle (1) includes an operating force measurement unit (4) which measures an operating force applied by an operator (13) to the electric vehicle (1), an obstacle measurement unit (8) which measures a distance and a direction from the electric vehicle (1) to an obstacle, a virtual repulsive force calculation unit (9) which calculates a virtual repulsive force having a magnitude inversely proportional to a magnitude of the distance measured by the obstacle measurement unit (8) and a direction opposite to the direction to the obstacle, and an assisting force calculation unit (10) which calculates an assisting force for moving the electric vehicle (1) based on a resultant force of the operating force and the virtual repulsive force. The assisting force calculation unit (10) has an upper limit X to a magnitude of the calculated assisting force, and sets the upper limit X based on a magnitude of the operating force and an angle between a direction of the operating force and a direction of the resultant force.
