Systems and methods for monitoring the high-voltage operating hours of a high-voltage system of an electric vehicle

Abstract

Monitoring system (144) for high-voltage operating hours, HV operating hours, of an electric vehicle (110), EV (110), comprising: at least one processor (300); and at least one memory (302) that is communicatively coupled to the at least one processor (300), wherein the at least one memory (302) comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor (300), cause the at least one processor (300) to: to generate predicted HV operating hours for a high-voltage system, HV system, of the EV (110) based on a future vehicle age and future EV mileage, wherein: the HV system is operationally coupled and configured with a battery system (112) of the EV (110) to enable a power supply from the battery system (112) for drive loads and at least one of vehicle-external loads (136) and vehicle-in-house accessory loads (132); the predicted HV operating hours are based on current HV operating hours and historical HV operating hours for the HV system; and the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours are based on the use of the battery system (112) for the power supply of the drive loads and at least one of the vehicle-external loads (136) and the vehicle-internal accessory loads (132); to determine whether the predicted HV operating hours are greater than an HV operating hour threshold at one of the future vehicle ages or the future EV mileage; and to generate an HV operating hours warning, which is subject to restrictions in connection with the use of the battery system (112) for powering at least one of the vehicle external loads (136) and the vehicle internal accessory loads (132), for display on a display device (148) of the EV (110) based on the determination.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The technical field generally relates to vehicles and in particular to systems and methods for monitoring the high-voltage operating hours of a high-voltage system of an electric vehicle. introduction

[0002] Electric vehicles (EVs) typically have a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) to power the electrical components that enable the EV to propel itself. An example of an RESS is a battery system. The battery system can comprise a battery pack with one or more battery modules. Each battery module can contain multiple battery cells. The battery system can provide energy not only to propel the EV but also to power onboard accessory loads. An example of an onboard accessory load is a connected camera. The battery system can also be used to power external loads when the EV is stationary. The battery system is functionally coupled to a high-voltage (HV) system. The HV system enables the battery system to supply power to propulsion loads, onboard accessory loads, and external loads.

[0003] Examples of external loads include vehicle-to-grid (V2G), vehicle-to-home (V2H), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-load (V2L), power take-offs (PTOs), and electronic auxiliary drives. These external loads can be collectively referred to as vehicle-to-X (V2X) loads. The ability to power V2X loads allows the electric vehicle to function as both a means of transportation and a power source. However, the lifespan of the high-voltage (HV) system can be affected by using the battery system to power onboard accessories and / or external loads in addition to propulsion loads. The impact of powering onboard accessory loads and / or external loads is often overlooked when assessing HV systems under HV system warranties.

[0004] German patent DE 10 2018 131 626 A1 describes methods and systems for providing a reliable prediction of the remaining lifespan of a vehicle battery. A battery energy loss state is predicted based on the convergence rate of a measured variable derived from a recorded vehicle operating parameter, moving towards a defined threshold value determined based on the measured variable's historical data. The predicted energy loss state is then converted into an estimate of the remaining time or distance before the component requires maintenance and displayed to the driver. Vehicle control and communication strategies can be defined based on the predicted energy loss state.

[0005] German patent application DE 10 2022 118 744 A1 describes systems and methods that can coordinate and provide bidirectional energy transfer events between electrified vehicles and other devices or structures, such as for supporting transient loads associated with the devices / structures. Information on battery lifespan and driving habits can be used to select a suitable energy transfer strategy for any given condition of a vehicle, traction battery pack, structure, and / or grid power source. The proposed systems / methods can thus align grid demand charging strategies with the battery lifespan of each vehicle, thereby preserving the lifespan / warranty and inventory utilization of the traction battery pack over the entire service life of the vehicle.

[0006] Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide improved methods and systems for monitoring the high-voltage operating hours of a high-voltage system, based on the use of the battery system to supply vehicle-integrated accessory loads and / or vehicle-external loads in addition to the drive loads. Further desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the preceding technical field and background. Description of the invention

[0007] According to the invention, a monitoring system for high-voltage operating hours (HV operating hours) of an electric vehicle (EV) comprises at least one processor and at least one memory that is communicatively connected to the at least one processor. The at least one memory contains instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the following: to generate predicted HV operating hours for an EV's HV system based on a future vehicle age and future EV mileage, wherein: the HV system is operationally coupled to a battery system of the EV and is configured to allow power supply from the battery system for drive loads and at least one external load and vehicle accessory load; the predicted HV operating hours are based on current HV operating hours and historical HV operating hours for the HV system;and the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours based on the use of the battery system to power the drive loads and at least one of the vehicle's external loads and vehicle's own accessory loads; to determine whether the predicted HV operating hours are greater than an HV operating hour threshold at the future vehicle age or future mileage of the vehicle; and to generate an HV operating hour warning, which is subject to restrictions in connection with the use of the battery system to power at least one of the vehicle's external loads and vehicle's own accessory loads, for display on a vehicle display device based on the determination.

[0008] In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours threshold is a first HV operating hours threshold, and the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: based on a determination that the predicted HV operating hours are greater than the first HV operating hours threshold, disable a capability of the battery system to supply power to all of the at least one of the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's internal accessory loads; and generate the HV operating hours warning, wherein the HV operating hours warning includes a first notification that the capability of the battery system to supply power to all of the at least one of the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's internal accessory loads has been disabled.

[0009] In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours threshold is a first HV operating hours threshold range between the first HV operating hours threshold and a second HV operating hours threshold, wherein the second HV operating hours threshold is lower than the first HV operating hours threshold; and based on a determination that the predicted HV operating hours fall within the first HV operating hours threshold range, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: limit an amount of energy that can be supplied by the battery system to a first subset of the at least one of the vehicle-external loads and the vehicle-internal accessory loads;a capability of the battery system to disable power delivery to a second subset of the at least one of the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's own accessory loads; and to generate the HV operating hours warning, wherein the HV operating hours warning includes a second notification that the amount of energy that can be delivered by the battery system to the first subset of the at least one of the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's own accessory loads has been limited and that the capability of the battery system to deliver power to a second subset of the at least one of the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's own accessory loads has been disabled.

[0010] In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours threshold is a second HV operating hours threshold range between the second HV operating hours threshold and a third HV operating hours threshold, wherein the third HV operating hours threshold is lower than the second HV operating hours threshold; and based on a determination that the predicted HV operating hours fall within the second HV operating hours threshold range, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: recommend limiting the use of the battery system to supply power to the at least one of the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's own accessory loads;to limit the amount of power that can be delivered by the battery system to a third subset of at least one of the vehicle's external loads and in-vehicle accessory loads; and to generate the HV operating hours warning, wherein the HV operating hours warning includes a third notification to recommend limiting the use of the battery system to deliver energy to at least one of the vehicle's external loads and in-vehicle accessory loads, and that the amount of power that can be delivered to the third subset of at least one of the vehicle's external loads and in-vehicle accessory loads has been limited.

[0011] In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours threshold is a third HV operating hours threshold range between the third HV operating hours threshold and a fourth HV operating hours threshold, wherein the fourth HV operating hours threshold is lower than the third HV operating hours threshold; and based on a determination that the predicted HV operating hours fall within the third HV operating hours threshold range, which contains at least one memory further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to generate the HV operating hours warning, wherein the HV operating hours warning includes a fourth notification to recommend limiting the use of the battery system to supply energy to the at least one of the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's own accessory loads.

[0012] In at least one embodiment, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to generate the predicted HV operating hours for the future vehicle age, wherein the predicted HV operating hours are based on the current HV operating hours and the historical predicted HV operating hours corresponding to historical vehicle ages, and to determine whether the predicted HV operating hours are greater than the HV operating hour threshold for the future vehicle age.

[0013] In at least one embodiment, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to generate the predicted HV operating hours for the future vehicle age, wherein the predicted HV operating hours are based on the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours corresponding to historical vehicle ages within a predefined vehicle age window.

[0014] In at least one embodiment, the future vehicle age is a vehicle age guarantee.

[0015] In at least one embodiment, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: generate the predicted HV operating hours at the future EV mileage, wherein the predicted HV operating hours are based on the current HV operating hours at a current EV mileage and the historical HV operating hours corresponding to historical EV mileages; and determine whether the predicted HV operating hours at the future EV mileage are greater than the HV operating hour threshold.

[0016] In at least one embodiment, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to generate the predicted HV operating hours for the future EV mileage, wherein the predicted HV operating hours are based on the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours, which correspond to historical EV mileages within a predefined EV mileage window.

[0017] In at least one embodiment, the future EV mileage is a vehicle warranty mileage.

[0018] In at least one embodiment, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: determine the current HV operating hours; determine a current vehicle age; determine a current EV mileage; and identify the HV operating hour threshold that is associated with the current HV operating hours, the current vehicle age, and the current EV mileage, using predefined relationships between HV operating hours, vehicle age, EV mileage, and HV operating hour thresholds.

[0019] In at least one embodiment, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: generate first predicted HV operating hours for the future vehicle age, wherein the first predicted HV operating hours are based on the current HV operating hours and historical HV operating hours corresponding to historical vehicle ages; generate second predicted HV operating hours for the future EV mileage, wherein the second predicted HV operating hours are based on the current HV operating hours and historical HV operating hours corresponding to historical EV mileages; determine whether both the first predicted HV operating hours and the second predicted HV operating hours are greater than the HV operating hours threshold; and generate the HV operating hours warning based on the determination.

[0020] In at least one embodiment, at least one of the accessory loads on board comprises an attached camera system.

[0021] In at least one embodiment, the vehicle-external loads comprise at least one of vehicle-to-grid (V2G), vehicle-to-home (V2H), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-load (V2L), power take-off (PTO) and electronic power take-off.

[0022] In at least one embodiment, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: generate the predicted HV operating hours from the future vehicle age and the future EV mileage, wherein: the predicted HV operating hours are based on the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours; and the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours are based at least partially on the use of the battery system to supply energy to at least one of the vehicle's external loads and vehicle-integrated accessory loads;to generate further predicted HV operating hours for the one from the future vehicle age and future EV mileage, wherein the further predicted HV operating hours are based on the interruption of the use of the battery system to supply power from the at least one from the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's own accessory loads; to determine whether the predicted HV operating hours are greater than the HV operating hours threshold and whether the further predicted HV operating hours are less than the HV operating hours threshold; and to generate the HV operating hours warning based on the determination.

[0023] In at least one embodiment, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: generate a predicted number of HV contactor cycles based on the future vehicle age and the future EV mileage, wherein: the HV system is operationally coupled to the battery system via the HV contactors; the predicted number of cycles is based on a current number of cycles and historical cycle numbers; and the current number of cycles and the historical cycle numbers are based on the closing of the HV contactors to enable the battery system to supply energy to the drive loads and the at least one load from the vehicle-external loads and the vehicle's own accessory loads;to determine whether the predicted number of cycles is greater than a cycle threshold based on the future vehicle age and the future EV mileage; and to generate a cycle warning, which is linked to restrictions on the use of the battery system, to supply energy to which at least one of the vehicle's external loads and vehicle accessory loads is drawn, for display on an EV display device based on the determination.

[0024] In at least one embodiment, the at least one memory contains further instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: generate the current HV operating hours based on a sum of the durations that the HV contactors were closed during the HV cycles; and generate each of the historical HV operating hours based on sums of the durations that the HV contactors were closed at each of the historical vehicle ages.

[0025] According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for monitoring high-voltage operating hours (HV operating hours) of an electric vehicle (EV) comprises: generating predicted HV operating hours for an HV system of the EV based on a future vehicle age and future EV mileage, wherein: the HV system is operationally coupled to and configured with a battery system of the EV to enable power supply from the battery system for drive loads and at least one of the vehicle-external loads and vehicle-integrated accessory loads; the predicted HV operating hours are based on current HV operating hours and historical HV operating hours for the HV system; and the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours are based on the use of the battery system to power the drive loads and the at least one of the vehicle-external loads and vehicle-integrated accessory loads;Determine whether the predicted HV operating hours are greater than an HV operating hour threshold based on the future vehicle age and the future EV mileage; and generate an HV operating hour warning, which is linked to restrictions on the use of the battery system to power at least one of the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's own accessory loads, for display on an EV display device based on the determination.

[0026] According to another aspect, an electric vehicle (EV) comprises at least one processor and at least one memory that is communicatively connected to the at least one processor. The at least one memory contains instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: generate predicted HV operating hours for an EV's HV system based on a future vehicle age and future EV mileage, wherein: the HV system is operationally coupled to an EV battery system and is configured to allow power supply from the battery system for drive loads and at least one external load and vehicle accessory load; the predicted HV operating hours are based on current HV operating hours and historical HV operating hours for the HV system;and the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours based on the use of the battery system to power the drive loads and at least one of the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's own accessory loads; to determine whether the predicted HV operating hours are greater than an HV operating hour threshold at the future vehicle age or future mileage of the vehicle; and to generate an HV operating hour warning, which is subject to restrictions in connection with the use of the battery system to power at least one of the vehicle's external loads and the vehicle's own accessory loads, for display on a vehicle display device based on the determination. Brief description of the drawings

[0027] The exemplary embodiments are described below in conjunction with the following drawings, where the same reference numerals denote the same elements and where: Fig. 1 a functional block diagram of a system comprising an electric vehicle (EV) with a high-voltage operating hours monitoring system according to at least one embodiment; Fig. 2 shows an example of an interface for controlling the power supply of various vehicle-external loads according to at least one embodiment; Fig. 3. A functional block diagram of an EV with an HV operating hours monitoring system is in accordance with at least one embodiment; Fig. 4 a flowchart representation of a method for monitoring HV operating hours as a function of vehicle age according to at least one embodiment; Fig. 5 a flowchart representation of a method for monitoring HV operating hours as a function of EV mileage in accordance with at least one embodiment; Fig. 6 an exemplary graphical representation of the relationships between the HV operating hours of an EV as a function of the vehicle age of the EV in relation to an HV operating hour threshold according to at least one embodiment; Fig. 7 an exemplary graphical representation of the relationships between the HV operating hours of an EV as a function of the EV mileage in relation to an HV operating hour threshold according to at least one embodiment; Fig. 8 a flowchart representation of a method for generating HV operating hour warnings in conjunction with various HV operating hour thresholds according to at least one embodiment; and Fig. 9 is an exemplary graphical representation of the predefined relationships between HV operating hours, vehicle age, EV mileage and HV operating hour thresholds according to at least one embodiment. Detailed description

[0028] The following detailed description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit application and use. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any express or implied theories presented in the preceding technical field, background, summary, or the detailed description that follows. As used herein, the term "module" refers to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (common, dedicated, or group), and memory executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and / or other suitable components providing the described functionality.

[0029] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be described herein in the form of functional and / or logical block components and various processing steps. Such block components can be implemented by any number of hardware, software, and / or firmware components configured to perform the specified functions. For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure may employ various integrated circuit components, such as memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, lookup tables, or the like, which can perform a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices.Furthermore, the person skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in conjunction with any number of systems and that the systems described here are merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to signal processing, data transmission, signaling, control, and other functional aspects of the systems (and the individual operating components of the systems) are not described in detail here. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and / or physical couplings between the different elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may exist in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0031] With reference to Fig. Figure 1 shows a functional block diagram of a system comprising an electric vehicle (EV) with a high-voltage operating hours monitoring system 144 according to at least one embodiment. The electric vehicle 110 comprises a battery system 112. An example of a battery system 112 is a battery pack, for example, a high-voltage (HV) battery. The EV 110 comprises a powertrain 114 with an electric motor, a transmission, and / or a differential to drive one or more wheels 116 of the EV 110. A power supply 118 or other power source provides power to an EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) 122. In various embodiments, the EVSE 122 supplies power from the power supply 118 to an on-board charge module (OBCM) 126, which controls the charging process of the battery system 112.In various embodiments, direct current fast charging (DCFC) is used and the OBCM 126 is bypassed.

[0032] During travel, the battery system 112 supplies power to the powertrain 114 via an inverter module 130 to drive one or more wheels 116 of the electric vehicle 110. The battery system 112 also supplies power to vehicle accessory loads 132. An example of a vehicle accessory load is a connected camera system. In at least one embodiment, the battery system 112 can also be used to power vehicle-external loads 136 (also referred to as V2X components or V2X loads). Examples of vehicle-external loads 136 include vehicle-to-grid (V2G), vehicle-to-home (V2H), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-load (V2L), a power take-off (PTO), and an electric auxiliary drive. The EV 110 can serve both as a power source and as a means of transport.

[0033] One or more sensors 138, such as current and / or voltage sensors, detect the power delivered by the battery system 112 to the powertrain 114, the vehicle's accessory loads 132, and / or the vehicle's external loads 136. In various embodiments, a control unit 140 includes a monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours. The control unit 140 receives one or more output signals from the one or more sensors 138. An HV system is functionally coupled to the battery system 112 of the electric vehicle 110 and configured to enable the supply of power from the battery system 112 to drive loads, vehicle's accessory loads 132, and vehicle's external loads 136. The HV system can, for example, include the inverter module 130 and a power converter 175. An example of a drive load is the powertrain 114.The HV operating hours are based on the use of battery system 112 to supply power to the drive loads, accessory loads 132 and vehicle-external loads 136. The HV system is coupled to battery system 112 via HV contactors.

[0034] An interface 148 comprises a display and an input device (e.g., buttons or a touchscreen), such as a dashboard display or an infotainment display. The display shows HV operating hour warnings, HV operating hour data, and HV operating hour-related notifications. The interface 148 allows the customer to change the settings that control the power supply to the vehicle's external loads 136 and / or its internal accessory loads 132. An example of an internal accessory load 132 is a connected camera. In various embodiments, the interface 148 allows the customer to selectively disable, limit, or cut off the power supply to the electric vehicle 110 for the vehicle's external loads 136 and / or its internal accessory loads 132.A Telematics System 160 can be used to communicate wirelessly with a remote server to exchange information related to HV operating hours and warranty data with a manufacturer, and / or to set changes, restrictions and / or recommendations from the manufacturer.

[0035] In various embodiments, HV operating hour warnings are issued via interface 148, recommending that the use of the battery system 112 for supplying vehicle-external loads 136 and / or vehicle-internal accessory loads 132 be restricted when the HV operating hour monitoring system 144 determines that the HV operating hours are high enough to indicate that the HV system is degrading to such an extent that a warranty associated with the HV system may be voided.In various embodiments, a deactivation option is provided via interface 148 to disable the ability of the battery system 112 to supply power to vehicle-external loads 136 and / or vehicle-internal accessory loads 132 when the HV operating hours monitoring system 144 determines that the HV operating hours are high enough to indicate that the HV system may be degrading to such an extent that a warranty associated with the HV system is voided. In various embodiments, the ability to use the battery system 112 to power the vehicle-external loads 136 and / or the vehicle-internal accessory loads 132 is automatically deactivated when the HV operating hours monitoring system 144 determines that the HV operating hours are high enough to indicate that the HV system is degrading to such an extent that a warranty associated with the HV system may be voided.

[0036] In various embodiments, the EV 110 includes a vehicle V2X interface 171 configured to exchange information with an external V2X interface 173 of the vehicle-external loads 136. In various embodiments, the power converter 175 converts the power supplied by the battery system 112 for use by the vehicle-external loads 136. In various embodiments, the power converter 175 is located on the vehicle side of the EV 110. In various embodiments, the exchanged information includes an identification of the type of vehicle-external load 136, the required power, and / or other information. The control unit 140 and the interface 148 are configured to set an active / inactive state for the power supply of various types of vehicle-external loads 136 from the battery system 112 and / or limits for the power supply within a predetermined period (e.g.,The power delivered (one or more hours, days, weeks, months, years, or other periods) can be specified. In various embodiments, the manufacturer can override the customer settings associated with the 112 battery system based on the HV operating hours and / or provide recommendations that can be used as the default or selected by the customer.

[0037] With reference to Fig. Figure 2 shows a display interface 200, which the customer can access via the infotainment system, instrument panel, or other device to set an active / inactive state for the power supply of an external vehicle load 136. The display interface 200 allows the customer to select and set the external vehicle load 210, the active / inactive states 214 for the external vehicle loads 210, and / or the daily power limits 218 for each of the external vehicle loads 136. In some examples, the manufacturer-recommended limits for each of the external vehicle loads are provided at 222. In some examples, a customer can select the manufacturer-recommended daily limits via an input 230, such as a checkbox.Furthermore, the manufacturer can override the user's selection by disabling the selectable active / inactive states 214 for the vehicle-external loads 210 and / or remotely setting other daily power limits 218 for each of the vehicle-external loads based on the battery system's state of health (SOH) 112, the predicted battery system's SOH 112, the total EV mileage, the virtual EV mileage and / or the EV mileage driven.

[0038] With reference to Fig. Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of an electric vehicle with a monitoring system 144 for high-voltage operating hours in accordance with at least one embodiment. The EV 110 comprises a control unit 140. The control unit 140 comprises at least one processor 300 and at least one memory 302. The at least one processor 300 is communicatively connected to the at least one memory 302. The at least one processor 300 is a programmable device containing one or more instructions that are stored in or assigned to the at least one memory 302. The at least one memory 302 contains instructions for the execution of which the processor(s) 300 is / are configured.

[0039] The at least one memory 302 is a computer-readable storage device or medium. The at least one processor 300 can be any custom or commercially available processor, central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), auxiliary processor among multiple processors, semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chipset), macroprocessor, any combination thereof, or generally any instruction-executing device. The computer-readable storage devices or media can include volatile and non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), and keep-alive memory (KAM). KAM is persistent or non-volatile memory that can be used to store various operating variables while the processor(s) 300 is / are powered off.The computer-readable storage device(s) can be implemented using any number of known storage devices such as PROMs (programmable read-only memory), EPROMs (electrically erasable PROMs), EEPROMs (electrically erasable PROMs), flash memory, or other electrical, magnetic, optical, or combined storage devices capable of storing data, some of which constitute executable instructions used by the HV operating hours monitoring system 144. The instructions can comprise one or more separate programs, each containing an ordered list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. When executed by the 300 processor(s), the instructions perform logic, calculations, procedures, and / or algorithms to implement the monitoring of the HV operating hours of an EV 110 HV system.

[0040] With reference to Fig. Figure 4 shows a flowchart of a method 400 for monitoring HV operating hours as a function of vehicle age in accordance with at least one embodiment. The method 400 is described with reference to an exemplary implementation of the HV operating hours monitoring system 144. As can be seen from the disclosure, the sequence of steps within the method 400 is not limited to those described in Figure 4. Fig. The sequential execution shown in section 4 is limited, but can be carried out in one or more varying sequences and in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0041] At 402, the current HV operating hours are calculated by the HV operating hours monitoring system 144. HV contactors connect the battery system 112 to the HV system for operational use. The HV system comprises a variety of HV components. Examples of HV components include inverters, refrigerant compressors, resistance heaters, and charging modules. The battery system 112 is connected to the HV system via HV contactors for operational use. The HV contactors can be set to an open or closed state. When the battery system 112 is used to power drive loads, vehicle accessory loads 132, and / or vehicle external loads 136, the HV contactors, which establish an operational connection between the battery system 112 and the loads, are in a closed state.When the battery system 112 is not used to power drive loads, vehicle accessory loads 132, and / or vehicle-external loads 136, the HV contactors that establish an operational coupling between the battery system 112 and the loads are set to an open state. When all HV contactors are open, the drive loads, vehicle accessory loads 132, and / or vehicle-external loads 136 are disconnected from the battery system 112 and discharged. One cycle consists of the HV contactors being set to an open state followed by a closed state. In at least one embodiment, the current HV operating hours are the sum of the durations that the HV contactors were closed during the HV cycles within a predefined vehicle age window.In at least one embodiment, the predefined vehicle age window extends from a vehicle age of the EV 110 of zero to a current vehicle age of the EV 110.

[0042] At 404, historical HV operating hours are retrieved by the HV operating hours monitoring system 144. The HV operating hours are calculated periodically for different vehicle ages of the EV 110. The periodicity can be, for example, every day, every few days, every few months, or every year. Each of these points in time represents a different vehicle age of the EV 110. The HV operating hours are monitored by the HV operating hours monitoring system 144. In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours monitoring system 144 retrieves all historical HV operating hours from the point in time when the vehicle age is zero. In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours monitoring system 144 retrieves the historical HV operating hours that fall within a predefined vehicle age window. In various embodiments, the HV operating hours are linked to the use of the EV 110.If the EV 110 is leased, the first and second owners may have different usage patterns, resulting in varying HV operating hours. Using a predefined time window for the vehicle's age allows the system to filter out the EV 110's usage by a previous customer (e.g., the first lessee). For example, the first two years of the vehicle's age could correspond to a lease term. This predefined window could extend from the vehicle's age of two years to its current age. This predefined age window provides the HV operating hours for the second owner by filtering out the HV operating hours of the first lessee. The HV operating hours monitoring system 144 uses the historical HV operating hours, starting at the end of the lease term and extending to the current vehicle age.In various embodiments, the predefined vehicle age window can be a sliding window through the time range of the vehicle age. The predefined vehicle age window is a fixed time period that moves through the vehicle age time range.

[0043] At 406, predicted HV operating hours are generated based on the continued use of the battery system 112 to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 at a future vehicle age. For example, the HV system may have a manufacturer-specified vehicle age warranty of 8 years. The predicted HV operating hours, based on the continued use of the battery system 112 to power the external load(s) 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory load(s) 132, are determined for the 8-year vehicle age warranty. The vehicle age warranty is used as the future vehicle age. The predicted HV operating hours for continued use of the battery system 112 to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 are based on the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours.

[0044] At 408, predicted HV operating hours are created based on an interruption of the use of the battery system 112 to supply external loads 136 and / or vehicle-owned accessory loads 132 for the future vehicle age.

[0045] At 410, the predicted HV operating hours, based on the continued use of the battery system 112 to supply external loads 136 and / or vehicle accessory loads 132, are compared with a number of different HV operating hour thresholds. In various embodiments, the predicted HV operating hours based on the continued use of the battery system 112 to supply external loads 136 and / or vehicle accessory loads 132, and the predicted HV operating hours based on the interruption of the use of the battery system 112 to supply external loads 136 and / or vehicle accessory loads 132, are compared with a number of different HV operating hour thresholds.

[0046] At 412, based on the comparison, one of several different high-voltage (HV) operating hour warnings is generated. These warnings are associated with restrictions related to the use of the battery system 112 for powering external loads 136 and / or vehicle accessory loads 132, and are displayed on an interface 148 of the vehicle 110. The various threshold values ​​for HV operating hours and the associated HV operating hour warnings are described in more detail below.

[0047] With reference to Fig. Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method 500 for monitoring HV operating hours as a function of the vehicle's mileage in accordance with at least one embodiment. The method 500 is described with reference to an exemplary implementation of the monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours. As can be seen from the disclosure, the sequence of the method 500 is not based on the one described in Figure 5. Fig. The sequential execution shown in section 5 is limited, but can be carried out in one or more varying sequences, as is applicable in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0048] At 502, the current HV exposure time is calculated by the monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours. The HV contactors connect the battery system 112 to the HV system in an operational state. The HV system comprises a variety of HV components. Examples of HV components include inverters, refrigerant compressors, resistance heaters, and charging modules. The battery system 112 is connected to the HV system via HV contactors. The HV contactors can be set to an open or closed state. When the battery system 112 is used to power drive loads, vehicle accessory loads 132, and / or vehicle external loads 136, the HV contactors, which establish an operational connection between the battery system 112 and the loads, are in a closed state.When the battery system 112 is not used to power drive loads, vehicle accessory loads 132, and / or vehicle-external loads 136, the HV contactors that establish an operational coupling between the battery system 112 and the loads are set to an open state. When all HV contactors are open, the drive loads, vehicle accessory loads 132, and / or vehicle-external loads 136 are disconnected from the battery system 112 and discharged. One cycle consists of the HV contactors being set to an open state followed by a closed state. In at least one embodiment, the current HV operating hours are the sum of the durations that the HV contactors were closed during the HV cycles within a predefined EV mileage window.In at least one embodiment, the predefined time period extends from an EV mileage reading of zero to a current EV vehicle mileage reading.

[0049] At 504, historical HV operating hours are retrieved by the HV operating hours monitoring system 144. The HV operating hours are calculated at regular intervals based on various EV mileages. The periodicity can be, for example, every predefined number of EV kilometers. For instance, the HV load time can be calculated every 1000 EV miles. The HV operating hours are monitored by the HV operating hours monitoring system 144. In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours monitoring system 144 retrieves all historical HV operating hours from the point at which the vehicle's odometer reading is zero. In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours monitoring system 144 retrieves the historical HV operating hours that fall within a predefined EV mileage window. In various embodiments, the HV operating hours are linked to the use of the EV 110.If the electric vehicle 110 is leased, the first and second owners may have different usage patterns, resulting in different accumulations of high-voltage (HV) hours. Using a predefined time window for the vehicle's mileage allows you to filter out the usage of the vehicle 110 by a previous customer (e.g., the first lessee). For example, the first 24,000 miles of EV mileage could correspond to a lease term. The predefined window could extend from those 24,000 miles to the vehicle's current mileage. This predefined EV mileage window provides the HV hour accumulation for the second owner by filtering out the HV hour accumulation of the first lessee.The HV operating hours monitoring system 144 uses historical HV operating hours, starting at the end of the lease mileage and extending to the current EV mileage. In various configurations, the predefined EV mileage window can be a sliding window across the EV mileage distance domain. Alternatively, the predefined EV mileage window can be a fixed EV mileage that moves across the EV mileage distance domain.

[0050] At 506, a predicted HV load duration is determined based on the continued use of the battery system 112 to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 over a future EV mileage. The HV system may, for example, have a manufacturer-specified vehicle mileage warranty of 100,000 miles. The predicted HV operating hours, based on the continued use of the battery system 112 to power the external load(s) 136 and / or the external accessory load(s) 132, are determined using the 100,000-mile vehicle mileage warranty. The vehicle mileage warranty is used as the future EV mileage.The predicted HV operating hours with continued use of the battery system 112 to supply vehicle-external loads 136 and / or vehicle-internal accessory loads 132 are based on the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours.

[0051] At 508, predicted HV operating hours are generated based on the setting of the use of the battery system 112 to supply external loads 136 and / or vehicle-owned accessory loads 132 for the future mileage of the vehicle.

[0052] At 510, the predicted HV operating hours, based on the continued use of the battery system 112 to supply external loads 136 and / or vehicle accessory loads 132, are compared with a number of different HV operating hour thresholds. In various embodiments, the predicted HV operating hours based on the continued use of the battery system 112 to supply external load(s) 136 and / or vehicle accessory load(s) 132, and the predicted HV operating hours based on the interruption of the use of the battery system 112 to supply external load(s) 136 and / or vehicle accessory load(s) 132, are compared with a number of different HV operating hour thresholds.

[0053] At 512, one of several different high-voltage (HV) operating hour warnings, which are associated with restrictions related to the use of the battery system 112 for powering external loads 136 and / or vehicle accessory loads 132, is generated based on a comparison with the display on an interface 148 of the electric vehicle 110. The various threshold values ​​for HV operating hours and the associated HV operating hour warnings are described in more detail below.

[0054] With reference to Fig. Figure 6 is an exemplary graphical representation of the relationships between the HV operating hours of an EV 110 as a function of the vehicle age of the EV 110 with respect to an HV operating hour threshold according to at least one embodiment. The future vehicle age of 8 years is the vehicle age warranty for the EV 110. If the HV operating hours exceed the HV operating hour threshold before the end of the 8-year vehicle age warranty, the warranty of certain HV components may be at risk. The projected HV operating hours exceeding the HV operating hour threshold may increase the risk of failure of HV system components during the warranty period of the EV 110. This may increase the risk of HV component failure, which could lead to a warranty claim. It is desirable to consider the non-drive functions (e.g.,to limit vehicle-external load(s) 136 and / or vehicle-internal accessory load(s) 132) if the predicted HV operating hours exceed the HV operating hours threshold, as the risk of HV component failure and the resulting warranty costs will increase.

[0055] The dots represent data points of the HV operating hours, encompassing current and historical HV operating hours. The square represents the predicted HV operating hours based on the continued use of the battery system 112 to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 in addition to the drive loads at a future vehicle age of 8 years. The predicted HV operating hours based on the continued use of the battery system 112 to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 in addition to the drive loads at a future vehicle age of 8 years are greater than the HV operating hour threshold.Since the predicted HV operating hours exceed the HV operating hour threshold before the expiry of the vehicle age warranty of 8 years, the warranty of certain HV components may be at risk if the battery system 112 is used to supply external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 in addition to the drive loads.

[0056] The triangle represents the predicted HV operating hours based on the interruption of the use of the battery system 112 to supply external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 at a future vehicle age of 8 years. The predicted HV operating hours based on the interruption of the use of the battery system 112 to supply external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 at a future vehicle age of 8 years remain below the HV operating hour threshold.Since the predicted HV operating hours remain below the HV operating hour threshold before the expiry of the 8-year vehicle age warranty, an HV operating hour warning is generated recommending that the use of the battery system 112 to supply external vehicle load(s) 136 and / or vehicle-integrated accessory load(s) 132 be discontinued in order to keep the HV system operational during the warranty period.

[0057] With reference to Fig. Figure 7 is an exemplary graphical representation of the relationships between the high-voltage (HV) operating hours of an EV 110 as a function of the EV mileage with respect to an HV operating hour threshold, in accordance with at least one embodiment. The future mileage of 100,000 miles is the guarantee for the EV 110's mileage. If the HV operating hours exceed the HV operating hour threshold before the 100,000-mile vehicle mileage guarantee expires, the warranty for certain HV components may be voided.

[0058] The dots represent the current and historical HV hours. The square represents the projected HV operating hours based on continued use of the battery system 112 to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 in addition to the drive loads at a future EV mileage of 100,000 miles. The projected HV operating hours, based on continued use of the battery system 112 to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 in addition to the drive loads at a future EV mileage of 100,000 miles, are greater than the HV operating hour threshold. Since the projected HV operating hours exceed the HV operating hour threshold before the vehicle mileage guarantee of 100,000 miles expires,If the battery system 112 is used to supply external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 in addition to the drive loads, the warranty is void if the vehicle's battery system 112 is used to supply external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132.

[0059] The triangle represents the projected HV operating hours that will result when the battery system 112 is no longer used to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 at a future vehicle mileage of 100,000 miles. The projected HV operating hours, based on the cessation of using the battery system 112 to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 at a future vehicle mileage of 100,000 miles, remain below the HV operating hour threshold. Because the projected HV load remains below the HV operating hour threshold before the vehicle mileage warranty expires at 100,000 miles, the battery system 112 is not used to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132.When 000 miles expire, an HV operating hours warning is generated, recommending that the use of the battery system 112 to power external loads 136 and / or internal accessory loads 132 be discontinued in order to keep the HV system under warranty.

[0060] With reference to Fig. Figure 8 is a flowchart of a method 800 for generating HV operating hour warnings in conjunction with various HV operating hour thresholds in accordance with at least one embodiment. The method 800 is described with reference to an exemplary implementation of the HV operating hour monitoring system 144. As can be seen from the disclosure, the sequence of steps within the method 800 is not limited to those described in Figure 8. Fig. The sequential execution shown in 8 is limited, but can be carried out in one or more varying sequence(s), depending on applicability and in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0061] At 802, based on a determination that the predicted HV operating hours are greater than a first HV operating hour threshold, the HV operating hour monitoring system 144 disables the battery system's ability to power all external loads 136 and internal accessory loads 132, and generates an HV operating hour warning, which includes a first notification for display on the EV 110 interface 148. The first notification indicates that the battery system's ability to power all external loads 136 and internal accessory loads 132 has been disabled. If the predicted HV hours are above the first threshold, the actual HV hours are critically high.

[0062] At 804, based on a determination that the predicted HV operating hours fall within a first HV operating hour threshold range, the monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours: limits an amount of energy that can be delivered by the battery system 112 to a first subset of the vehicle external loads 136 and the vehicle internal accessory loads 132, disables the ability of the battery system 112 to deliver energy to a second subset of the vehicle external loads 136 and the vehicle internal accessory loads 132, and generates an HV operating hour warning including a second notification for display on the interface 148 of the EV 110.The second notification indicates that the amount of power that can be delivered by battery system 112 to the first subset of external vehicle loads 136 and internal vehicle accessory loads 132 has been limited, and that the ability of battery system 112 to deliver power to a second subset of external vehicle loads 136 and internal vehicle accessory loads 132 has been disabled. The first HV operating hours threshold range lies between the first HV operating hours threshold and a second HV operating hours threshold. The second HV operating hours threshold is lower than the first HV operating hours threshold. If the predicted HV operating hours fall within the first HV operating hours threshold range, the actual HV operating hours are very high.

[0063] At 806, based on a determination that the predicted HV operating hours fall within a second HV operating hour threshold range, the HV operating hour monitoring system 144 recommends: limiting the use of the battery system 112 to supply power to the vehicle's external loads 136 and vehicle's internal accessory loads 132, limiting the amount of power that can be supplied by the battery system 112 to a third subset of the vehicle's external loads 136 and vehicle's internal accessory loads 132, and generating an HV operating hour warning including a third notification for display on the EV 110's interface 148.The third notification contains the recommendation to limit the use of the battery system 112 for supplying the vehicle's external loads 136 and the vehicle's own accessory loads 132, and indicates that the amount of energy that can be delivered to the third subset of the vehicle's external loads 136 and the vehicle's own accessory loads 132 has been limited. The second HV operating hour threshold range lies between the second HV operating hour threshold and a third HV operating hour threshold. The third HV operating hour threshold is lower than the second HV operating hour threshold. If the predicted HV operating hours fall within the second HV operating hour threshold range, the actual HV operating hours are high.

[0064] At 808, based on the determination that the predicted HV operating hours fall within a third HV operating hour threshold range, the HV operating hour monitoring system 144 generates an HV operating hour warning with a fourth notification. The fourth notification recommends limiting the use of the battery system 112 for powering the vehicle's external loads 136 and internal accessory loads 132. The third HV operating hour threshold range lies between the third HV operating hour threshold and a fourth HV operating hour threshold. The fourth HV operating hour threshold is lower than the third HV operating hour threshold. When the predicted HV operating hours fall within the third HV operating hour threshold range, the actual HV operating hours are slightly elevated.

[0065] In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours monitoring system 144 is configured to generate initial predicted HV operating hours for a future vehicle age. The future vehicle age is the vehicle age guarantee. The predicted HV operating hours are based on the current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours. The current HV operating hours and the historical HV operating hours are based, at least in part, on the use of the battery system 112 to power external vehicle loads 136 and / or vehicle accessory loads in addition to the drive loads. The HV operating hours monitoring system 144 is configured to generate a second predicted HV operating hour for the future vehicle age.The second predicted HV operating hours are based on the interruption of the use of the battery system to power the vehicle's external loads 136 and / or the vehicle's own accessory loads 132. The HV operating hour monitoring system 144 is configured to determine whether the first predicted HV operating hours are greater than the HV operating hour threshold and the second predicted HV operating hours are less than the HV operating hour threshold. The HV operating hour monitoring system 144 is configured to generate an HV operating hour warning for display on interface 148 if the first predicted HV operating hours are greater than the HV operating hour threshold and the second predicted HV operating hours are less than the HV operating hour threshold.The high-voltage operating hours warning is subject to limitations when using the battery system 112 to power the vehicle's external loads 136 and / or its own accessory loads 132. An example of an interface 148 is a vehicle display device 110.

[0066] In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours monitoring system 144 is configured to generate initial predicted HV operating hours for a future EV mileage. The future EV mileage guarantees the vehicle's mileage. The predicted HV operating hours are based on the current and historical HV operating hours. The current and historical HV operating hours are based, at least in part, on the use of the battery system 112 to power external loads 136 and / or in-vehicle accessory loads 132 in addition to the drive loads. The HV operating hours monitoring system 144 is configured to generate a second predicted HV operating hour for the future EV mileage.The second predicted HV operating hours are based on the interruption of the use of the battery system to power the vehicle's external loads 136 and / or the vehicle's own accessory loads 132. The HV operating hour monitoring system 144 is configured to determine whether the first predicted HV operating hours are greater than the HV operating hour threshold and the second predicted HV operating hours are less than the HV operating hour threshold. The HV operating hour monitoring system 144 is configured to generate an HV operating hour warning for display on interface 148 if the first predicted HV operating hours are greater than the HV operating hour threshold and the second predicted HV operating hours are less than the HV operating hour threshold.The high-voltage operating hours warning is subject to limitations when using the battery system 112 to power the vehicle's external loads 136 and / or its own accessory loads 132. An example of an interface 148 is a vehicle display device 110.

[0067] In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours monitoring system 144 is configured to generate initial predicted HV operating hours for a future vehicle age. This future vehicle age represents the vehicle age guarantee. The initial predicted HV operating hours are based on the current HV operating hours and historical HV operating hours corresponding to historical vehicle ages. The HV operating hours monitoring system 144 is also configured to generate a second predicted HV operating hour for future EV mileage. This future EV mileage represents the vehicle mileage guarantee. The second predicted HV operating hours are based on the current HV operating hours and historical HV operating hours corresponding to historical EV mileages.The HV operating hours monitoring system 144 is configured to detect whether both the first and second predicted HV operating hours exceed the HV operating hours threshold. The HV operating hours monitoring system 144 is configured to generate an HV operating hours warning if both the first and second predicted HV operating hours exceed the HV operating hours threshold. The HV operating hours warning is subject to limitations regarding the use of the battery system 112 to power the vehicle's external loads 136 and / or its own accessory loads 132. An example of an interface 148 is a vehicle display device 110.

[0068] With reference to Fig.Figure 9 shows an exemplary graphical representation of the predefined relationships between HV operating hours, vehicle age, EV mileage, and HV operating hour thresholds in accordance with at least one embodiment. Numerous hypothetical customer usage scenarios are modeled for HV operating hours under all conditions used to determine the HV operating hour thresholds, which, without the implementation of restrictions on the use of external loads 136 and / or accessory loads 132, are unlikely to meet warranty requirements for most customers.

[0069] The predefined relationships are based on an interpolation between the following values: (i) zero EV mileage and zero vehicle age – zero HV operating hours, (ii) all values ​​at the vehicle age warranty – [durability threshold] hours of HV operating hours, and (iii) all values ​​at the vehicle warranty mileage – [durability threshold] hours of HV operating hours. The HV operating hour threshold is defined by the interface and is a function of the current EV mileage and vehicle age. A warranty period might be, for example, 8 years and / or 100,000 miles. A lifetime value might be, for example, 15 years and / or 150,000 miles. Other mileage and / or year definitions may also be used that meet internal design requirements or comply with a regulation or warranty.

[0070] In at least one embodiment, the HV operating hours monitoring system 144 is configured to determine the current HV operating hours, the current vehicle age, and the current EV mileage. The HV operating hours monitoring system 144 is configured to identify the HV operating hours threshold associated with the current HV operating hours, the current vehicle age, and the current EV mileage by using predefined relationships between HV operating hours, vehicle age, EV mileage, and HV operating hours thresholds, as illustrated in the exemplary graph.

[0071] In at least one embodiment, the monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours is configured to generate a predicted number of HV contactor cycles at a future vehicle age. The future vehicle age is the vehicle age guarantee. The HV system is coupled to the battery system via the HV contactors. The predicted number of cycles is based on a current cycle count and historical cycle counts. The current cycle count and historical cycle counts are based on the closing of the HV contactors to enable the battery system to supply power to the drive loads and the vehicle-external loads 136 and / or the vehicle's own accessory loads 132. The monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours is configured to determine whether the predicted number of cycles is greater than a cycle threshold for the future vehicle age.If the predicted number of cycles is greater than a cycle threshold at the future vehicle age, the monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours is configured to generate a cycle warning, which is associated with restrictions on the use of the battery system 112 to power the vehicle's external loads 136 and / or the vehicle's own accessory loads 132 and is displayed on a display device of the EV 110.

[0072] In at least one embodiment, the monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours is configured to generate a predicted number of HV contactor cycles for a future EV mileage. The future EV mileage guarantees the vehicle's service life. The HV system is coupled to the battery system via the HV contactors. The predicted number of cycles is based on a current and a historical cycle count. The current and historical cycle counts are based on the closing of the HV contactors to enable the battery system to supply power to the drive loads and the vehicle-external loads 136 and / or the vehicle's own accessory loads 132. The monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours is configured to determine whether the predicted number of cycles exceeds a cycle threshold at the future EV mileage.If the predicted number of cycles during the future vehicle mileage is greater than a cycle threshold, the monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours is configured to generate a cycle warning, which is associated with restrictions on the use of the battery system 112 to power the vehicle's external loads 136 and / or the vehicle's own accessory loads 132 and is displayed on a display device of the vehicle 110.

[0073] In at least one embodiment, the monitoring system 144 for HV operating hours is configured to generate the current HV operating hours based on a sum of the durations that the HV contactors were closed during the cycles, and to generate each of the historical HV operating hours based on the sums of the durations that the HV contactors were closed at each of the historical vehicle ages.

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