Vehicle control apparatus, control method, non-transitory storage medium, and vehicle

A control method that is executed by a computer of a vehicle control apparatus mounted on a vehicle including a DC-DC converter that supplies electric power from a first battery related to driving of the vehicle to a second battery, different from the first battery, and an auxiliary load that uses the second battery as a power supply, the control method comprising:

• determining a state of a starter switch of the vehicle;
• detecting an operation of a user to the vehicle;
• acquiring information on a charging status of the second battery;
• when a first operation by the user is detected and it is determined that the starter switch is off, driving the DC-DC converter such that the DC-DC converter charges the second battery;
• when an amount of electric power charged in the second battery, which is included in the acquired information on the charging status of the second battery, reaches a target amount of charge set based on an amount of electric power to be consumed by the auxiliary load while the starter switch is off, stopping the DC-DC converter;
• and
• when a state of charge of the second battery, which is included in the acquired information on the charging status of the second battery, becomes lower than or equal to a first threshold after the DC-DC converter is stopped, driving the DC-DC converter again such that the DC-DC converter supplies electric power to the auxiliary load while maintaining the state of charge of the second battery at the first threshold.

A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on one or plurality of processors and causing the one or plurality of processors to execute functions, the non-transitory storage medium being included in a vehicle control apparatus mounted on a vehicle including a DC-DC converter that supplies electric power from a first battery related to driving of the vehicle to a second battery, different from the first battery, and an auxiliary load that uses the second battery as a power supply, the functions comprising:

• determining a state of a starter switch of the vehicle;
• detecting an operation of a user to the vehicle;
• acquiring information on a charging status of the second battery;
• when a first operation by the user is detected and it is determined that the starter switch is off, driving the DC-DC converter such that the DC-DC converter charges the second battery;
• when an amount of electric power charged in the second battery, which is included in the acquired information on the charging status of the second battery, reaches a target amount of charge set based on an amount of electric power to be consumed by the auxiliary load while the starter switch is off, stopping the DC-DC converter;
• and
• when a state of charge of the second battery, which is included in the acquired information on the charging status of the second battery, becomes lower than or equal to a first threshold after the DC-DC converter is stopped, driving the DC-DC converter again such that the DC-DC converter supplies electric power to the auxiliary load while maintaining the state of charge of the second battery at the first threshold.