Abstract: Available torque output from a battery-powered traction motor system in a vehicle is estimated, wherein the system includes a high-voltage battery coupled to a traction motor by an inverter, wherein the inverter is controlled in response to a torque/speed command within an inverter controller, and wherein the system further includes a DC-to-DC converter coupled to the high-voltage battery to provide a reduced voltage to charge a low-voltage battery. Battery operating conditions of the high-voltage battery are determined including available battery power and battery voltage. Traction motor operating conditions including a flux linkage and other electrical parameters are determined. The battery information including voltage, current, and internal resistance is transformed into synchronous coordinates. An available quadrature current corresponding to the maximum available torque is determined in response to the traction motor operating conditions and the battery voltage in the synchronous coordinates.