Vehicle control apparatus

A vehicle control apparatus that updates a vehicular program through use of an update program received from an external device that exists separately from a vehicle via wireless communication, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:

• a required time calculation unit that calculates a required download time that is needed to receive the update program;
• a communication-enabled time estimation unit that calculates an estimated value of a communication-enabled time that allows the update program to be received from the external device via the wireless communication;
• a download performance unit that receives the update program from the external device via the wireless communication, when the required download time is equal to or shorter than the estimated value of the communication-enabled time;
• and
• a driving method suggestion unit that suggests, to a driver, a driving method ensuring the communication-enabled time that is equal to or longer than the required download time, when the required download time is longer than the estimated value of the communication-enabled time.