Travel control apparatus for vehicle

A travel control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

• one more of a stereo camera configured to capture images of an external environment of a vehicle or a radar configured to receive reflected waves from objects present in a periphery of the vehicle;
• a travel information detection unit that detects travel information on travel of the vehicle, including at least a velocity sensor;
• a controller configured to:
• recognize peripheral environment information on peripheral environment in which a vehicle equipped with the travel control apparatus is traveling, based on information from the one more of a stereo camera or a radar;
• detect a vehicle to be passed on the basis of the peripheral environment information and the travel information, the vehicle to be passed being a target of passing located in front of the vehicle in a traveling lane thereof;
• detect a following vehicle behind the vehicle in the traveling lane, as a following vehicle in an original lane, on the basis of the peripheral environment information, the original lane being the traveling lane;
• monitor the vehicle to be passed and the following vehicle in the original lane, and variably control a passing maneuver with respect to the vehicle to be passed, on the basis of a monitoring result;
• and
• a notification unit that issues a notification about a control status, wherein the notification unit includes one or more of a display device configured to display a visual notification and a speaker configured to issue an audible notification,
• wherein the controller is configured to implement return control by a steering controller to return to the original lane in front of the vehicle to be passed, after passing the vehicle to be passed by changing the traveling lane of the vehicle.