Vehicle control system for determining journey speed

A vehicle comprising a control system, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the one or more controllers including one or more electrical inputs for receiving route profile data and energy information of the vehicle, the control system including storage storing a vehicle-speed mapping, the control system arranged to:

• receive the route profile data indicative of a route between a first location and a second location;
• receive the energy information indicative of an initial State of Charge (SoC) of a power source of the vehicle prior to the vehicle travelling the route;
• calculate, using the energy information and the route profile data, a destination SoC of the power source of the vehicle at the second location;
• compare the destination SoC with a predetermined end-of-route SoC value;
• if the destination SoC is less than the predetermined end-of-route SoC value, determine a journey speed for the vehicle, the journey speed indicating an upper speed limit at which the vehicle may travel during at least a portion of the route and reach the second location with a SoC value equal to or greater than the predetermined end-of-route SoC value, and output the determined journey speed to a display screen for visual display, wherein the journey speed is determined by:
• determining an available energy of the power source based on the initial SoC and the route profile data;
• determining a route distance based on the route profile data;
• and
• determining the journey speed by accessing the vehicle-speed mapping, the vehicle-speed mapping indicating a relationship between the journey speed, the available energy of the power source, and the route distance,
• periodically recalculate the journey speed while the vehicle travels the route based on a remaining distance of the route from a current location of the vehicle to the second location, such that the journey speed is a live updated journey speed;
• and
• if the destination SoC is less than the predetermined end-of-route SoC value and the determined journey speed is less than a lower journey speed bound value for at least a part of the route, output an indication of insufficient remaining battery energy to perform the route to the display screen for visual display, wherein determining the available energy comprises:
• dividing the route profile data into a plurality of route segments;
• for each route segment of the plurality of route segments, determining a tractional energy to travel the route segment, wherein the tractional energy is determined based on a speed energy and an elevation change energy associated with the route segment;
• when a flow speed of a route segment is less than or equal to the lower journey speed bound value, adding the tractional energy due to the speed energy associated with the route segment to a running total of energy;
• when the flow speed of a route segment is greater than the lower journey speed bound value, adding the tractional energy due to the elevation change energy associated with the route segment to the running total of energy;
• and
• determining the available energy of the power source based on the running total of energy and the initial SoC.

A method executable by a control system, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the one or more controllers including one or more electrical inputs for receiving route profile data and energy information of the vehicle, the control system including storage storing a vehicle-speed mapping, the method comprising:

• receiving the route profile data indicative of a route between a first location and a second location;
• receiving the energy information indicative of an initial State of Charge (SoC) of a power source of a vehicle prior to the vehicle travelling the route;
• calculating, using the energy information and the route profile data, a destination SoC of the power source of the vehicle at the second location;
• comparing the destination SoC with a predetermined end-of-route SoC value;
• if the destination SoC is less than the predetermined end-of-route SoC value, determining a journey speed for the vehicle, the journey speed indicating an upper speed limit at which the vehicle may travel during at least a portion of the route and reach the second location with an SoC value equal to or greater than the predetermined end-of-route SoC value, and outputting the determined journey speed to a display screen for visual display, wherein the journey speed is determined by:
• determining an available energy of the power source based on the initial SoC and the route profile data;
• determining a route distance based on the route profile data;
• and
• determining the journey speed by accessing the vehicle-speed mapping, the vehicle-speed mapping indicating a relationship between the journey speed, the available energy of the power source, and the route distance,
• periodically recalculating the journey speed while the vehicle travels the route based on a remaining distance of the route from a current location of the vehicle to the second location, such that the journey speed is a live updated journey speed;
• and
• if the destination SoC is less than the predetermined end-of-route SoC value and the determined journey speed is less than a lower journey speed bound value for at least a part of the route, outputting an indication of insufficient remaining battery energy to perform the route to the display screen for visual display, wherein determining the available energy comprises:
• dividing the route profile data into a plurality of route segments;
• for each route segment of the plurality of route segments, determining a tractional energy to travel the route segment, wherein the tractional energy is determined based on a speed energy and an elevation change energy associated with the route segment;
• when a flow speed of a route segment is less than or equal to the lower journey speed bound value, adding the tractional energy due to the speed energy associated with the route segment to a running total of energy;
• when the flow speed of a route segment is greater than the lower journey speed bound value, adding the tractional energy due to the elevation change energy associated with the route segment to the running total of energy;
• and
• determining the available energy of the power source based on the running total of energy and the initial SoC.