Determining a minimum state of charge for an energy storage means of a vehicle

A controller comprising:

• at least one electronic processor;
• and
• at least one electronic memory device electrically coupled to the at least one electronic processor and storing executable instructions, wherein the at least one electronic memory device and the instructions are configured to, with the at least one electronic processor, cause a vehicle to perform a method for determining a minimum state of charge for a traction battery of the vehicle, the method comprising:
• determining a routine use of charge of the traction battery, wherein determining the routine use of charge of the traction battery comprises determining a routine usage of user-selectable energy consuming vehicle subsystems;
• determining a user requirement for future driving of the vehicle;
• predicting a reduction in a state of charge of the traction battery associated with the user requirement based at least in part on the determined routine use of charge of the traction battery;
• determining the minimum state of charge for the traction battery for enabling the user requirement to be satisfied based at least in part on the predicted reduction in the state of charge of the traction battery;
• and
• providing an output to a user indicative of a time requirement for increasing the state of charge of the traction battery to a value at or above the determined minimum state of charge for the traction battery;
• wherein the output is user-selectable, enabling charging of the traction battery to the corresponding value to be performed when selected.

A vehicle comprising:

• a controller, the controller comprising:
• at least one electronic processor;
• and
• at least one electronic memory device electrically coupled to the at least one electronic processor and storing executable instructions, wherein the at least one electronic memory device and the instructions are configured to, with the at least one electronic processor, cause a vehicle to perform a method for determining a minimum state of charge for a traction battery of the vehicle, the method comprising:
• determining a routine use of charge of the traction battery, wherein determining the routine use of charge of the traction battery comprises determining a routine usage of user-selectable energy consuming vehicle subsystems;
• determining a user requirement for future driving of the vehicle:
• predicting a reduction in a state of charge of the traction battery associated with the user requirement based at least in part on the determined routine use of charge of the traction battery;
• determining the minimum state of charge for the traction battery for enabling the user requirement to be satisfied based at least in part on the predicted reduction in the state of charge of the traction battery;
• and
• providing an output to a user indicative of a time requirement for increasing the state of charge of the traction battery to a value at or above the determined minimum state of charge for the traction battery;
• wherein the output is user-selectable, enabling charging of the traction battery to the corresponding value to be performed when selected;
• and wherein the vehicle further comprises:
• at least one output device configured to:
• receive the output and a second output;
• and present the output and the second output to the user.