Energy management strategies based on optimal control theory can achieve minimum fuel consumption for hybrid electric vehicles, but the requirement for driving cycles known in prior leads to a real-time problem. A real-time optimization power-split strategy is proposed based on linear quadratic optimal control. The battery state of charge sustainability and fuel economy are ensured by designing a quadratic performance index combined with two rules. The engine power and motor power of this strategy are calculated in real-time based on current system state and command, and not related to future driving conditions. The simulation results in ADVISOR demonstrate that, under the conditions of various driving cycles, road slopes and vehicle parameters, the proposed strategy significantly improves fuel economy, which is very close to that of the optimal control based on Pontryagin’s minimum principle, and greatly reduces computation complexity. Energy management strategies based on optimal control theory can achieve minimum fuel consumption for hybrid electric vehicles, but the requirement for driving cycles known in prior leads to a real-time problem. A real-time optimization power-split strategy is proposed based on linear quadratic optimal control. The battery state of charge sustainability and fuel economy are due by designing a quadratic performance index combined with two rules. The engine power and motor power of this strategy are calculated in real-time based on current system state and command, and not related to future driving conditions. The simulation results in ADVISOR demonstrate that, under the conditions of various driving cycles, road slopes and vehicle parameters, the proposed strategy significantly improves fuel economy, which is very close to that of the optimal control based on Pontryagin’s minimum principle, and greatly reduces computation complexity.