Nissan Motor Company Limited

Yusuke Nakane

Takeshi Hirata

Takanobu Sawada

A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle in which a sailing control for traveling under inertia is executed when a vehicle is traveling. Each time the sailing control is executed, a history of sailing control is stored as history information classified according to situations in which sailing control was canceled. Also, a current travel situation is specified, history information corresponding to a current travel situation is specified from the stored history information, and whether to allow or disallow sailing control is determined based on the specified history information.

Vehicle control method and control device

A vehicle control method for executing a sailing stop control when a drive source stop condition is established while a vehicle is traveling. The sailing stop control stops a drive source of the vehicle and releases an engaging element provided between the drive source and a drive wheel such that the vehicle travels under inertia. The vehicle control method acquires information on a road on which the vehicle will travel, and then determines whether there is a section on a route where the sailing stop control can be executed based on the information. Upon determining a section exist capable of the sailing stop control, the vehicle control method estimates a power shortage amount, which is a shortage amount of power during sailing stop control, based on the information, and charges a battery with power required to cover the power shortage amount prior to starting the sailing stop control.

An engine control method includes determining an intention of a driver for acceleration during vehicle traveling, stopping fuel supply to an engine when a determination is made that the driver does not have the intention for acceleration, detecting a speed of the vehicle during inertial traveling, with fuel supply to the engine kept stopped, permitting restart of the engine when a determination is made that the driver has the intention for acceleration after stopping the fuel supply to the engine, prohibiting the restart of the engine until an engine rotational speed drops to or below a predetermined rotational speed threshold, even when the restart of the engine is permitted, restarting the engine after the engine rotational speed drops to or below the predetermined rotational speed threshold, and changing the rotational speed threshold depending on the detected speed. The rotational speed threshold increases with increase in the detected speed.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Yusuke Nakane