Vehicle control device

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a travel section determination unit configured to determine a forward travel section that is a travel section having a different road gradient from a current travel section in which a vehicle is currently traveling and that is ahead in a travel direction of the vehicle;
• a forward gear stage selection unit configured to select a forward gear stage, which is a gear stage of the vehicle in the forward travel section, based on:
• a driving force characteristic indicating a relationship between a speed of the vehicle and a driving force of the vehicle of each of a plurality of gear stages of the vehicle;
• and a travel resistance characteristic indicating a relationship between the speed of the vehicle and a travel resistance of the vehicle corresponding to the forward travel section;
• and
• a shift control unit configured to control shift of the gear stage of the vehicle in the forward travel section based on the forward gear stage selected by the forward gear stage selection unit,
• wherein in a case where a travel mode of the vehicle is a first mode in which suppression of fuel consumption is prioritized, the forward gear stage selection unit is configured to select as the forward gear stage a gear stage at which a minimum travelable vehicle speed, which is a minimum speed among the speed of the vehicle at which the driving force indicated by the driving force characteristic is equal to or greater than the travel resistance indicated by the travel resistance characteristic, is highest, and in a case where the travel mode of the vehicle is a second mode in which improvement of travel performance is prioritized, the forward gear stage selection unit is configured to select as the forward gear stage a gear stage at which a maximum travelable vehicle speed, which is a maximum speed among the speed of the vehicle at which the driving force indicated by the driving force characteristic is equal to or greater than the travel resistance indicated by the travel resistance characteristic, is highest.