The invention relates to a method for controlling an operation of a motor vehicle equipped with a hybrid drive unit (10), which comprises a combustion engine (12) and at least one electric machine (14) that can be operated by a motor or by a generator. This electric machine (14), when in generator mode, charges an energy accumulator (22) and/or supplies power to a vehicle electric system (24) of the motor vehicle. The invention provides that, according to the maintaining of preset boundary conditions, the operation of the electric machine (14) in the generator mode ensues in alternating intervals, whereby: (a) in a first interval, the electric machine (14) is operated with a first high electrical power output that is higher than an actual power consumption of the vehicle electric system (24) of the motor vehicle and; (b) is switched off in a second interval. This enables the starting of light load operating points of the electric machine (14) with low efficiencies to be largely avoided whereby achieving a fuel advantage with regard to a continuous operating mode.