This invention relates to an apparatus for controlling a range extender (104) in an electric vehicle (100). The apparatus comprises means for receiving trip information, means for retrieving power usage information relating to a previous trip, the previous trip having trip information which is at least in part in common with the trip information; and means for activating the range extender (104) in dependence on said power usage information. The invention also extends to an associated method, computer product and system.

The present disclosure relates to a charging method and a charging apparatus of a cleaning robot. With the method, position information of a plurality of charging ports available for the cleaning robot is obtained; when it is determined that the cleaning robot needs to be charged, current position information of the cleaning robot is obtained; a closest charging port from the plurality of charging ports which is the closest to a current position of the cleaning robot is determined according to the position information of the plurality of charging ports and the current position information of the cleaning robot; and the cleaning robot is controlled to move to the closest charging port according to the position information of the closest charging port. With the technical solution, the cleaning robot may be charged nearby, thereby reducing power consumption of the cleaning robot.

A charging station for an electric vehicle determines that a first person is in proximity to the charging station and identifies whether the first person is a user of the charging station. In accordance with a determination that the first person is a user of the charging station, the charging station provides, using a first mode for selecting content for users of the charging station, first content for display. The charging station determines that a second person is in proximity to the charging station and identifies whether the second person is a user of the charging station. In accordance with the determination that the second person is not a user of the charging station, the charging station provides, using a second mode for selecting content distinct from the first mode for selecting content, second content for display. The second mode provides content for non-users of the charging station.

A control device for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a battery, includes an electronic control unit configured to: i) set a target SOC which is a target value of an SOC of the battery when the hybrid vehicle arrives at a prescribed charging base; ii) when the hybrid vehicle is traveling outside the charging base, control output of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor such that the SOC at a time when the vehicle arrives at the charging base is the target SOC; and iii) estimate a charging possibility which is a possibility that the battery is charged with an external power source in the charging base when the hybrid vehicle arrives at the charging base, and set the target SOC lower when the estimated charging possibility is high than when the estimated charging possibility is low.

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle capable of achieving a charging target in response to environmental change via a charging control method. The charging control method includes: setting reserved charging using external power based on a departure time and a target state of charge (SOC) of a battery; monitoring whether change in charging environment has occurred, determining whether the target SOC of the battery is capable of being achieved at a currently set departure time, when the charging environment has been changed; and performing series charging using an engine and a motor upon determining that the target SOC of the battery is incapable of being achieved.

An information providing apparatus is configured to be used in a target vehicle and display power feeding facilities on a map, the target vehicle being configured such that a vehicle-mounted battery can be charged with DC power supplied from outside the target vehicle. The information providing apparatus is configured to display an electrical outlet-type AC stand on the map in a manner of being distinguished from a cable-equipped AC stand, when the target vehicle is a vehicle not including an AC charger and a prescribed first condition is satisfied. In contrast, the information providing apparatus is configured to display the electrical outlet-type AC stand and the cable-equipped AC stand on the map without distinguishing between the electrical outlet-type AC stand and the cable-equipped AC stand, when the target vehicle is a vehicle including the AC charger and a prescribed second condition is satisfied.

A system for thermally conditioning a battery pack of an electric vehicle includes at least one battery pack mounted within the electric vehicle having at least one cell; circuitry in that determines a battery total charge of the at least one battery pack, a thermal conditioning system in thermal communication with the at least one battery pack system configured to heat or cool the at least one cell of the at least one battery pack, a vehicle positioning system in communication configured to determine a location of the electric vehicle, and a map database. The circuitry is configured to determine when the battery total charge of the at least one battery pack should be charged, determine, when the electric vehicle is traveling, a travel time between the electric vehicle and the one or more charging stations, and instruct the thermal conditioning system to thermally condition the at least one battery pack based on the travel time to reduce the time needed to charge the at least one battery pack.

The present disclosure envisages an on-board battery state monitoring system for monitoring state of charge of a battery of an electric vehicle. The system comprises an onboard processor in data communication with a central server of a transit agency; at least one CAN network for monitoring different parameters of the electric vehicle; a recharge module configured to analyze Parameter Group Numbers (PGNs) in messages broadcasted by the at least one CAN network and filter out PGNs that provide state of charge of the battery, wherein the filtered out PGNs are transmitted to the on-board processor for the state of charge analysis of the battery to determine if an electric vehicle block can be completed.

An electrified vehicle includes an electric motor configured to output power for traveling, an electric power storage device configured to supply electric power to the electric motor, and a control device configured to set an input limit as a maximum value of a charging current in charging the electric power storage device using electric power from an external power supply. The control device is configured to set a greater value as the input limit when a vehicle use ratio as a proportion of a use index indicating a degree of cumulative use of the vehicle to a prescribed maximum value of the use index is large than when the vehicle use ratio is small.

A method of determining when to increase an amount electrical energy available to a vehicle includes setting a parameter for a function describing a reference state of charge as a function of distance traveled, wherein the reference state of charge represents a state of charge of the vehicle at which the amount of electrical energy available to the vehicle should be increased. For each trip of the vehicle, the parameter for the function is modified so that different trips of a same vehicle use different functions for the reference state of charge.