Method and system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle

Abstract

A method and system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle equipped with a battery conditioning system are provided, which are configured to calculate a minimum temperature and a maximum temperature of the battery required at the start of charging on the basis of the estimated state of charge of the battery at the start of charging, the maximum charging power that can be delivered by the charging station and the maximum value of current cooling capacity of the conditioning system of the vehicle battery, and to determine a target battery temperature at the start of charging corresponding to the minimum temperature if the current temperature of the battery is lower than the calculated minimum temperature, or corresponding to the maximum temperature if the current temperature of the battery is higher than the calculated maximum temperature, or corresponding to the current temperature of the battery if the current temperature of the battery is between the calculated minimum temperature and the calculated maximum temperature.

Description

[0001] Method and system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle

[0002] The present invention concerns in general electric or hybrid vehicles, and in particular the conditioning of the temperature of a traction battery for electric or hybrid vehicles.

[0003] More specifically, the invention concerns a method and system for conditioning the temperature of a rechargeable traction battery of a running electric or hybrid vehicle equipped with a battery conditioning system including battery heating means and battery cooling means.

[0004] The spread of vehicles with electric traction or hybrid thermal / electric traction is accompanied by an evolution in the technology of the batteries and their external charging stations, in order to optimise the charging of the batteries by reducing their times and improving their efficiency. External recharging in this context refers to the recharging of a vehicle battery by means of energy provided from a source outside the vehicle, for example a charging station connected with a geographical electricity network or a renewable energy source.

[0005] In order to reduce the charging time of a traction battery for electric vehicles, (thereby being hereinafter intended both the exclusively electric vehicles and the hybrid traction vehicles), in the case of rapid DC charging, the traction battery at the start of the charging operation must be at an optimal temperature value that corresponds to the condition of maximum current that can be absorbed during charging.

[0006] For these purposes, control architectures have been proposed for the management of a thermal preconditioning of the traction battery, that is, the preventive heating or cooling of the battery, which are based on predictive information about the temperature the battery will have at the time it will be subjected to recharging and obtained from the on-board navigator - if a navigation path has been calculated or set - or through simulations conducted with artificial intelligence tools. Existing solutions have the main purpose of conditioning the battery to a calibrated target temperature value, to start charging with the maximum possible power and minimize charging time. However, the charging time is influenced by external parameters, such as the maximum deliverable power or electric current of the charging station, and by internal factors, such as the maximum conditioning capacity of the system. If the power or electric current that can be delivered by the charging station is limited (that is, less than the maximum charging capacity of the vehicle battery) preconditioning the battery in order to reach the temperature at which it has the maximum charging capacity is superfluous, since then the maximum charging capacity would not be exploited due to the reduced power or current that can be delivered by the charging station. In this condition, the preventive conditioning of the battery temperature causes excessive energy consumption, subtracted from the battery itself, which is unjustified.

[0007] The maximum capacity of the battery conditioning system also affects the charging time, since if the temperature of the battery during charging reached too high values due to the limited cooling capacity, it would enter a condition of charging degradation, so preconditioning the battery in order to reach the temperature at which it has the maximum charging capacity would be again superfluous if then during the charging operation a degradation condition due to the high temperature reached occurred, which does not allow to exploit the maximum electrical power that can be delivered by the charging station.

[0008] US 10,800,287 describes in general the identification of a preconditioning window for a vehicle's battery temperature in view of rapid charging.

[0009] US 10,931, 124 describes a method for preconditioning a battery pack comprising identifying a battery charging site, setting a target temperature for thermal regulation of the battery pack based in part on the battery charging site, and adjusting a temperature of the battery pack based on the target temperature.

[0010] US 9,728,990 describes a regulation of the temperature of an energy storage system in a vehicle based on the expected charging speed for an upcoming charging event. When charging at a rapid charging station is upcoming, the temperature of the energy storage system is risen above the normal operating temperature, when charging at a non-rapid charging station is upcoming, the energy storage system is cooled below the normal operating temperature.

[0011] US 8,417,403 describes the control of the battery temperature of a vehicle in anticipation of future charging, by determining whether a vehicle destination is available for external battery charging and performing battery temperature conditioning to an intermediate target value over time in order to reach a target temperature at the destination that is an efficient temperature for charging, for example by stopping the engine and using the electrical energy stored in the battery to heat the battery when the intermediate target temperature is higher than the current battery temperature, or by operating the engine and reducing the use of battery energy when the intermediate target temperature is lower than the current battery temperature.

[0012] The solutions proposed as state-of-the-art preconditioning logic cause energy consumption due to battery conditioning to be higher than necessary in the event that the power or current that can be delivered by the charging station is lower than the maximum charging capacity of the vehicle and in the event that the thermal conditioning system is sized for nominal non- rapid charging conditions, that is, without taking into account the considerable thermal overload during rapid charging, forcing cooling in order to manage the worst case (limited cooling power), thus taking a margin that most of the time is not needed.

[0013] In light of what is currently known in the art, the present invention aims to improve the methodology for preconditioning a traction battery for electric or hybrid vehicles, and in particular to reduce the energy consumption in the battery temperature conditioning while minimizing the battery charging time. More specifically, the invention aims to optimize the determination of the target temperature of the preconditioning of the traction battery of electric vehicles in a dynamic way, so as to minimize the energy consumption of a battery conditioning system installed on board the vehicle.

[0014] According to the present invention, these objects are achieved thanks to a method for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle having the characteristics recited in claim 1.

[0015] Particular embodiments form the subject matter of the dependent claims, the content of which is to be understood as an integral part of the present description.

[0016] A further subject of the invention is a system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle, as claimed.

[0017] In summary, the present invention describes a method and a system adapted to minimize the energy consumption of a battery conditioning system on board the vehicle and the charging time of the traction battery of electric vehicles, through the dynamic optimization of the target temperature at the start of battery charging at an identified charging station. The determination of the target temperature is implemented dynamically while the vehicle is travelling towards the charging station, as a function of the power or electric current that can be delivered by the charging station and the current cooling capacity of the conditioning system of the vehicle battery, in order to ensure the minimum necessary conditioning on board the vehicle that minimises the charging time at the pre-established charging station.

[0018] More specifically, the determination of the target temperature of the preconditioning of the traction battery of electric vehicles takes place dynamically during a phase of approach of the vehicle to the charging station, based on an estimate of the state of charge of the battery at the start of charging, taking into account factors external to the vehicle, such as the maximum power or electric current that can be delivered by the charging station, and factors internal to the vehicle, such as the maximum power of the battery cooling system in relation to the ambient temperature. The target temperature is defined dynamically as an intermediate value between a minimum limit, or minimum threshold temperature, and a maximum limit, or maximum threshold temperature. The minimum limit is dependent on the own charging power or current characteristic of the battery and the maximum power or current that can be delivered by the charging station. It can be obtained from the limit of power or current that can be delivered by the charging station through the interpolation of the battery charging characteristic (C-rate). The maximum limit is defined as a function of the characteristic temperature limits of the battery which are weighed as a function of the capacity of the conditioning system. This ensures that during the charging phase a degraded charging area due to the high temperature of the battery is not entered, achieving the optimal result in terms of minimisation of the charging time avoiding excessively conditioning the battery.

[0019] Advantageously, the method can be implemented by means of a computer configured through a program that realizes the control logic underpinning the process, using sensors and controllers available on board the vehicle, without any modification to the vehicle's conditioning system. Preferably, the provision of a navigation system makes it possible to identify one or more charging stations in the territory in which the vehicle is travelling, for example the next charging station according to a planned route, and to provide data representative of the charging station, such as the deliverable power or current in addition to a parameter identifying a space-time relationship between the geographic location of the charging station and the current geographic location of the vehicle, for example information on the route to reach the charging station.

[0020] The control method according to the invention ensures that the temperature at the start of charging is within the range between the minimum limit, or minimum threshold temperature, and the maximum limit, or maximum threshold temperature, by controlling the heating of the battery if the current temperature of the battery is lower than the minimum limit and the cooling of the battery if the current temperature of the battery is higher than the maximum limit. If the current temperature of the battery is in the range comprised between the two threshold temperatures, the battery will not be conditioned.

[0021] In particular, the method subject-matter of the invention has as its primary outcome determining a target battery temperature at the start of charging of the battery at least at an identified charging station. Furthermore, the method may also include activating the heating means or the cooling means of the battery conditioning system, respectively in response to the condition that the current temperature of the battery is lower or higher than the determined target temperature, for example by emitting a command signal for activating the heating means or the cooling means of the conditioning system of the battery.

[0022] The calculation of the threshold temperatures is carried out dynamically, for example according to a predetermined periodicity, and can be carried out when the current state of charge of the battery is lower than a predetermined charge threshold and advantageously when it is also higher than a predetermined residual charge threshold. The state of charge of the battery must at least ensure that the charging station is reached, and if the battery is charged there is no reason to worry about charging. A time threshold could also be taken into account, i.e. it must be verified that there is at least one charging station sufficiently close.

[0023] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be set forth in more detail in the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 is an exemplary representation of the context of the invention; figure 2 is a block diagram of a vehicle on-board system including a system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention; figure 3 is a logic block diagram of a system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention; and figure 4 is a representative flowchart of a method for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention.

[0024] The invention is described below in the context represented in figure 1, in which an electric or hybrid vehicle V, equipped with at least one traction battery or a traction battery pack B, is travelling towards a predetermined destination, for example along a path calculated by a navigation device N on a territory at least in part illustrated on map M. A conditioning system C including battery heating means and battery cooling means is associated to the battery B, or to the battery pack B.

[0025] On the map there are also indicated with SI, S2, ..., Sn the positions of some charging stations CS available in the territory to recharge the battery of the vehicle V, each of which presents over time a space-time relationship between its geographic location and the geographic location of the vehicle, which is variable when the vehicle is running, and is represented by at least one characteristic operating parameter, which comprises the maximum deliverable charging power i.e. the maximum deliverable charging current.

[0026] The space-time relationship between the geographic location of each available charging station and the geographic location of the vehicle is indicative of the reciprocal spatial distance between said station and the vehicle and / or an expected travel time for reaching said charging station.

[0027] Advantageously, if a navigation path is set, the space-time relationship between the geographic location of the available charging stations and the geographic location of the vehicle and the operating parameter of maximum deliverable charging power or current, characteristic of the charging stations, which together form data representative of at least one charging station available to recharge the vehicle battery, refers to the charging stations along a predetermined navigation path of the vehicle.

[0028] A general block diagram of a vehicle on-board system including a system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention and accessory devices thereto including sensors and controllers available on board the vehicle is shown in figure 2.

[0029] The system for conditioning the battery temperature comprises: means for sensing the current temperature of the battery B, indicated by SENS T, adapted to emit a signal or data T BATT indicative of the battery current temperature; means for detecting the current state of charge of the battery B, indicated by SENS SOC, adapted to emit a signal or data SOC C indicative of the current state of charge of the battery; and means for estimating a maximum value of current cooling capacity of the cooling means of the battery of the vehicle, adapted to emit a signal or data C00L P0W indicative of the current cooling capacity of the cooling means of the battery.

[0030] The means for estimating the maximum value of current cooling capacity of the vehicle battery are made by a thermal management system 12 of the battery conditioning system C, for example operating on the basis of a current ambient temperature T ENV detected by a relative ambient temperature sensor SENS ENV, the aforesaid thermal management system being updated to the current fault state of the components of the cooling means, indicated in the figure with FS, to estimate the available cooling capacity, regardless of the current activation state of the cooling means.

[0031] The system further comprises a module 10 for estimating the state of charge of the battery at the start of charging of the battery at an identified charging station, adapted to receive in input the signal or data SOC C indicative of the current state of charge of the battery, and - from the navigation device N - a signal or data T_S and a signal or data D_S respectively indicative of the estimated time to reach the identified charging station and the estimated distance from the identified charging station, as a function at least of a relationship between the geographic location of the charging station and the current geographic location of the vehicle. The module 10 is adapted to emit a signal or data SOC SC indicative of the estimated state of charge of the battery upon reaching an identified charging station and at the start of the charging operation at that station. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the state of charge of the battery at the start of charging of the battery at the identified charging station can also be estimated as a function of an operating running parameter of the vehicle approaching the charging station. The information of the estimated time to reach the identified charging station and the estimated distance from the identified charging station contribute to determining an average speed, from which it is possible to estimate an average power required to the battery in the route and therefore a discharge rate of the battery. Alternatively, the average power required to the battery in the route can be estimated on the basis of a variable speed profile estimated by the navigation device along the planned route.

[0032] Finally, the system comprises a processor module 14 provided to: acquire, from the module 10, the signal or data SOC SC indicative of the state of charge of the battery estimated at the start of the charging operation at that station; acquire, from the navigation device N, at least one signal or data indicative of an operating parameter characteristic of the identified charging station, CS TYPE, which comprises the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered; acquire from the sensor means SENS T, the signal or data T BATT indicative of the current temperature of the battery; and acquire from the battery thermal management system 12, the signal or data COOL POW indicative of the maximum current cooling capacity obtainable from the battery cooling means.

[0033] Starting from the acquired signals or data, the processor 14 is configured to calculate a minimum threshold temperature and a maximum threshold temperature of the battery which are required at the start of charging, and to determine a target battery temperature T TGT at the start of charging, according to the logic described below with reference to figure 3.

[0034] Based on the target temperature T TGT, the system can also emit a command signal to activate the cooling or heating means of the battery conditioning system C, by comparison of the current temperature of the battery T BATT with the target battery temperature T TGT.

[0035] Figure 3 shows a logic block diagram of the system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention, in particular a logic block diagram of the processor 14.

[0036] The processor 14 comprises a logic module 140 for calculating a maximum threshold temperature, a logic module 142 for calculating a minimum threshold temperature, and a logic module 144 for determining the target temperature T TGT.

[0037] The module 140 receives in input the signal or data SOC SC indicative of the state of charge of the battery estimated at the start of the charging operation at the identified charging station, the signal or data CS TYPE indicative of the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered by the identified charging station and the signal or data COOL POW indicative of the current cooling capacity of the battery cooling means.

[0038] The module 142 receives in input the signal or data SOC SC indicative of the state of charge of the battery estimated at the start of the charging operation at the identified charging station and the signal or data CS TYPE indicative of the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered by the identified charging station. The module 140 is configured to calculate a maximum threshold temperature Tmax of the battery required at the start of charging on the basis of the estimated state of charge of the battery, the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered by said charging station and the maximum value of current cooling capacity of the conditioning system of the battery of the vehicle, by applying a predetermined reference model indicative of a nominal relationship between the aforementioned parameters, the reference model being an analytical relationship between the aforementioned parameters or a map of numerical values of the aforementioned parameters in one-to-one correspondence with each other.

[0039] The module 142 is configured to calculate a minimum threshold temperature Tmin of the battery required at the start of charging on the basis of the estimated state of charge of the battery and the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered by said charging station, by applying a predetermined reference model REF M indicative of a nominal relationship between the aforementioned parameters, the reference model being an analytical relationship between the aforementioned parameters or a map of numerical values of the aforementioned parameters in a one-to-one correspondence with each other. The reference model of the module 142 is for example the battery charging characteristic (C-rate diagram).

[0040] The module 144 is provided to receive a signal or data Tmax from the module 140 indicative of the maximum battery threshold temperature required at the start of charging, a signal or data Tmin from the module 142 indicative of the minimum battery threshold temperature required at the start of charging, and the signal or data T BATT indicative of the current battery temperature.

[0041] The module 144 is also configured to determine the target battery temperature T TGT at the start of charging of the battery at the identified charging station, according to the logic whereby: in response to the condition that the current battery temperature T BATT is lower than the calculated minimum temperature Tmin, the target battery temperature T TGT is said minimum temperature Tmin, in response to the condition that the current battery temperature T BATT is higher than the calculated maximum temperature Tmax, the target battery temperature T TGT is said maximum temperature Tmax, and in response to the condition that the current battery temperature T BATT is between the calculated minimum temperature Tmin and the calculated maximum temperature Tmax, the target battery temperature T TGT is the current battery temperature T BATT.

[0042] Consequently, the module 144 (or another module associated therewith) may: in response to the condition that the current battery temperature T BATT is lower than the determined target temperature T TGT, emit a command signal for activating the heating means of the battery conditioning system, or in response to the condition that the current battery temperature T BATT is higher than the determined target temperature T TGT, emit a command signal for activating the cooling means of the battery conditioning system, or in response to the condition that the current battery temperature T BATT coincides with the determined target temperature T TGT, emit a command signal for deactivating the heating means or the cooling means of the battery conditioning system if said heating means or said cooling means are active, or emit no command signal for activating the heating means or the cooling means of the battery conditioning system if said heating means or said cooling means are deactivated.

[0043] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of a method for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle equipped with a battery conditioning system including battery heating means and battery cooling means, implemented by the system described above, in accordance with the invention.

[0044] In step 200 the vehicle driver sets a navigation request on the on-board navigation device N.

[0045] In step 220, periodically recalled for example when the current state of charge of the battery is lower than a predetermined charge threshold and possibly higher than a predetermined residual charge threshold, the navigation device N identifies at least one charging station along the predetermined path, or a plurality of charging stations along the predetermined path and any alternative paths. For each identified station, the navigation device acquires, for example from the available map data, representative data including at least one parameter identifying the geographic location of said station and at least one operating parameter characteristic of said charging station, which comprises the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered. In a currently envisaged embodiment, the characteristic operating parameters of the charging station are the maximum deliverable power and the charging voltage, from which the deliverable charging current can be calculated, if necessary. Starting from the geographic location of the charging station, and therefore its distance from the vehicle, the navigation device, taking into account the expected probable speed along the planned route, is also able to estimate a time for reaching the charging station.

[0046] In step 240 the system checks which charging stations identified in the previous step are within a distance that can be reached by the vehicle on the basis of the residual battery charge and the estimated consumption, which include the energy demand for the traction of the vehicle, dependent on the travelling conditions, for example the speed, the ambient temperature, the activation of on-board devices, and the energy demand for the conditioning of the battery itself, which can be expressed briefly as a verification that the distance of the vehicle in the current location from the charging station (d) is less than a predetermined distance threshold (thpATu) and that the estimated state of charge of the vehicle upon reaching the charging station (SOC@cs) is higher than a predetermined charge threshold (thsoc).

[0047] The identification of the nearest station along the planned route is delegated to the navigation device, which provides information on one or more next charging stations and updates this information when the vehicle resumes driving after charging. The navigation device can also be configured to estimate the current state of charge of the battery along the navigation path, receiving in input the signal or data SOC C indicative of the current state of charge of the battery, which allows it to plan the trip and charging.

[0048] The processor 14, on the basis of the distance between the current location of the vehicle and the location of the charging station, or on the basis of the estimated time to reach the charging station, evaluates whether to activate the target temperature calculation algorithm T TGT, which occurs in the conditions in which the estimated state of charge at the charging station is higher than a predetermined safety residual charge threshold, and in a condition of sufficient spatial or time closeness to the station.

[0049] If the distance of the vehicle in the current location from the charging station (d) is less than the predetermined distance threshold (tha) and the estimated state of charge of the vehicle upon reaching the charging station (SOC@cs) is higher than the predetermined residual charge threshold (thsoc), the processor 14 calculates in step 260 the target temperature T TGT and possibly controls the heating or cooling means of the battery conditioning system for thermal management of the battery during the approach of the vehicle to the charging station, as a function of the comparison between the target temperature T TGT and the minimum and maximum temperature thresholds Tmin, Tmax.

[0050] If, on the other hand, at least one of the two conditions mentioned above is not met, i.e. if the distance of the vehicle in the current location from the charging station (d) is not less than the predetermined distance threshold (tha) or the estimated state of charge of the vehicle upon reaching the charging station (SOC@cs) is not higher than the predetermined residual charge threshold (thsoc), the processor 14 shifts into a condition of inactivity of the battery conditioning strategy in step 280 and from there the process returns to the comparison in step 240.

[0051] Advantageously, thanks to the system and method according to the invention, the determination of the target temperature at the start of the charging operation is carried out considering the limits of power that can be delivered by the charging station and the conditioning capacity of the battery heating and cooling system in relation to the external temperature, and this allows to optimize preconditioning ensuring that no energy is wasted in over-conditioning the battery temperature, i.e. excessive conditioning of the battery temperature, even in an acceptable temperature range, or conditioning for an unnecessary prolonged time.

[0052] In particular, the main benefit is the energy optimization of the conditioning phase that avoids (or limits) the unnecessary consumption of energy in the case of charging at a station with limited deliverable power or current (or in any case with deliverable power or current lower than that absorbable by the vehicle) and in conditions of limited capacity of the cooling system (in relation to the external temperature) that would entail the need to degrade the charging invalidating the time benefit obtained by preheating the battery. If the cooling system is in trouble (e.g. when a part of the components is faulty or the ambient temperature is very high), it is advisable to cool more in advance in order to reduce the charging degradation as much as possible. So, the optimization in this case is related to the fact that if the cooling system is adequate, it is possible to start charging with a higher temperature, saving energy. Of course, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the embodiments and details of construction can vary widely with respect to what has been described and illustrated purely by way of non-limiting example, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A computer-implemented method for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery (B) of an electric or hybrid vehicle (V) equipped with a battery conditioning system (C) including battery (B) heating means and battery (B) cooling means, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: acquiring the current temperature (T BATT) of the battery (B); acquiring the current state of charge (SOC C) of the battery (B); acquiring representative data of at least one charging station (SI, Sn) available for charging said battery (B), including at least a parameter (D_S, T_S) identifying a space-time relationship between the geographic location of said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) and the current geographic location of the vehicle (V), and at least one operating parameter (CS TYPE) characteristic of said charging station (SI, ..., Sn), said at least one operating parameter (CS TYPE) characteristic of the charging station (SI, ..., Sn) comprising the maximum deliverable charging power or the maximum deliverable charging current; acquiring a maximum value of current cooling capacity (COOL POW) of the conditioning system (C) of the vehicle (V) battery (B); estimating the state of charge (SOC SC) of the battery (B) at the start of charging of the battery (B) at said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) as a function of the current state of charge (SOC C) of the battery (B) and at least of said parameter (D_S, T_S) identifying said relationship between the geographic location of said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) and the current geographic location of the vehicle (V); calculating a minimum temperature (Tmin) of the battery (B) required at the start of charging on the basis of the estimated state of charge (SOC SC) of the battery (B) and the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered by said charging station (SI, ..., Sn); calculating a maximum temperature (Tmax) of the battery (B) required at the start of charging on the basis of the estimated state of charge (SOC SC) of the battery (B), the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered by said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) and the maximum value of current cooling capacity (COOL POW) of the conditioning system (C) of the battery (B) of the vehicle (V); and determining a target battery temperature (T TGT) at the start of charging of thebattery (B) at said charging station (SI, Sn), where: in response to the condition that the current temperature (T_B ATT) of the battery (B) is lower than the calculated minimum temperature (Tmin), the target battery temperature (T TGT) is said minimum temperature (Tmin), in response to the condition that the current temperature (T_B ATT) of the battery (B) is higher than the calculated maximum temperature (Tmax), the target battery temperature (T TGT) is said maximum temperature (Tmax), and in response to the condition that the current temperature (T_B ATT) of the battery (B) is between the calculated minimum temperature (Tmin) and the calculated maximum temperature (Tmax), the target battery temperature (T TGT) is the current temperature (T BATT).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the state of charge (SOC SC) of the battery (B) at the start of charging of the battery (B) at said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) is also estimated as a function of an operating running parameter of the vehicle (V) approaching the charging station (SI, ..., Sn).

3. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein acquiring data representative of at least one charging station (SI, ..., Sn) available for charging said battery (B) includes acquiring data representative of at least one charging station (SI, ..., Sn) along a predetermined vehicle (V) navigation path.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said parameter (D_S, T_S) identifying a relationship between the geographic location of said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) and the current geographic location of the vehicle (V) is at least one of a reciprocal spatial distance (D_S) between said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) and the vehicle (V) and an expected travel time (T_S) for reaching said charging station (SI, ..., Sn).

5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said maximum value of current cooling capacity (C00L P0W) of the conditioning system (C) of the battery (B) of the vehicle (V) is calculated as a function of the ambient temperature (T ENV).

6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein determining the target battery temperature (T TGT) is performed periodically.

7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein determining the target battery temperature (T TGT) is performed when the current state of charge (SOC C) of the battery (B) is lower than a predetermined charge threshold.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein determining the target battery temperature (T TGT) is performed when the current state of charge (SOC C) of the battery (B) is higher than a predetermined residual charge threshold.

9. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising one of the following steps: in response to the condition that the current temperature (T_B ATT) of the battery (B) is lower than the determined target temperature (T TGT), activating the heating means of the conditioning system (C) of the battery (B), or in response to the condition that the current temperature (T_B ATT) of the battery (B) is higher than the determined target temperature (T TGT), activating the cooling means of the conditioning system (C) of the battery (B), or in response to the condition that the current temperature (T_B ATT) of the battery (B) coincides with the determined target temperature (T TGT), deactivating the heating means or the cooling means of the conditioning system (C) of the battery (B).

10. System for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery (B) of an electric or hybrid vehicle (V) equipped with battery (B) heating means and battery (B) cooling means, characterized by comprising: means (SENS T) for sensing the current temperature (T BATT) of the battery (B); means (SENS SOC) for detecting the current state of charge (SOC C) of the battery (B); means (12) for estimating a maximum value of current cooling capacity of the cooling (COOL POW) means of the battery (B) of the vehicle (V); and processing means (10, 14), configured for:acquiring data representative of at least one charging station (SI, .. Sn) available for charging said battery (B), including at least one parameter (D_S, T_S) identifying a relationship between the geographic location of said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) and the current geographic location of the vehicle (V), and at least one operating parameter (CS TYPE) characteristic of said charging station (SI, ..., Sn), said at least one operating parameter comprising the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered; estimating the state of charge (SOC SC) of the battery (B) at the start of charging of the battery (B) at said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) as a function of at least said parameter (D_S, T_S) identifying said relationship between the geographic location of said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) and the current geographic location of the vehicle (V); calculating a minimum temperature (Tmin) of the battery (B) required at the start of charging on the basis of the estimated state of charge (SOC SC) of the battery (B) and the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered by said charging station (SI, ..., Sn); calculating a maximum temperature (Tmax) of the battery (B) required at the start of charging on the basis of the estimated state of charge (SOC SC) of the battery (B), the maximum charging power or current that can be delivered by said charging station (SI, ..., Sn) and the maximum value of current cooling capacity (COOL POW) of the conditioning system (C) of the battery (B) of the vehicle (V); and determining a target battery temperature (T TGT) at the start of charging of the battery (B) at said charging station (SI, ..., Sn), where: in response to the condition that the current temperature (T_B ATT) of the battery (B) is lower than the calculated minimum temperature (Tmin), the target battery temperature (T TGT) is said minimum temperature (Tmin), in response to the condition that the current temperature (T_B ATT) of the battery (B) is higher than the calculated maximum temperature (Tmax), the target battery temperature (T TGT) is said maximum temperature (Tmax), and in response to the condition that the current temperature (T_B ATT) of the battery (B) is between the calculated minimum temperature (Tmin) and the calculated maximum temperature (Tmax), the target battery temperature (T TGT) is the current temperature (T BATT).

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