Vehicle control apparatus and method

A vehicle control apparatus, comprising:

• a memory storing a program instruction;
• and
• a processor configured to execute the program instruction,
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• provide input data at a current time point to a vehicle required power model for predicting a required power value of a host vehicle at a future time point when a specific time elapses from the current time point, wherein the input data includes at least one of a relative speed between a preceding vehicle and a host vehicle, a speed of the host vehicle, gradient information of a road ahead of the host vehicle, or a power value of the host vehicle;
• calculate a model characteristic beta value to predict the required power value of the host vehicle at the future time point based on pieces of past operation data of the host vehicle, wherein the pieces of past operation data correspond to the input data at the current time point;
• predict the required power value of the host vehicle at the future time point based on the vehicle required power model to which the model characteristic beta value is applied and the input data at the current time point;
• and
• perform one or both of i) control the host vehicle in an electric vehicle (EV) mode based on the required power value of the host vehicle at the future time point or ii) control the host vehicle in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) mode based on the required power value of the host vehicle at the future time point.