Vehicle speed estimation method and vehicle speed estimation device for four-wheel drive vehicle

A vehicle control device for controlling a four-wheel drive vehicle based on an estimated vehicle body speed, the vehicle control device comprising:

• a plurality of wheel speed sensors where one of the wheel speed sensors is provided to each wheel of the four-wheel drive vehicle to detect a wheel speed for each of the wheels of the four-wheel drive vehicle;
• and
• a controller configured to control the four-wheel drive vehicle based on an estimated vehicle body speed, the estimated vehicle body speed being determined from each of the wheel speeds,
• the controller being configured to:
• determine whether a deviation of at least two of the wheel speeds among the wheel speeds is within a first prescribed range,
• switch a method for selecting the wheel speed used for determining the estimated vehicle body speed between a first method and a second method when a sign of a drive torque that is applied to each of the wheels is reversed and the deviation of the at least two of the wheel speeds among the wheel speeds is within the first prescribed range, and
• control a torque of an electric motor of the four-wheel drive vehicle based on the estimated vehicle body speed.