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

Abstract

A method and a system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle equipped with a battery conditioning system, configured to acquire the current battery temperature and a target battery temperature at the start of battery charging at a charging station, to calculate the thermal energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature, to estimate the thermal energy available to the vehicle for battery temperature conditioning as a function of a space-time relationship between the current geographic location of the vehicle and the geographic location of the charging station and to emit an activation request signal (or an activation command) of the battery temperature conditioning system in response to the condition that the thermal energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature is equal to or greater in absolute value than the thermal energy available to the vehicle for battery temperature conditioning or is lower in absolute value than the thermal energy available to the vehicle for battery temperature conditioning within a predetermined threshold.

Description

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

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

[0003] More specifically, the invention relates to a method and a 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 (hereinafter being intended as both exclusively electric vehicles and hybrid traction vehicles), in the case of rapid direct current 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. US 9,318,778 discloses the estimate of an average temperature of a vehicle battery system starting from measured battery system temperature data and measured ambient temperature data using an extended Kalman filter and an energy balance process model associated with the battery system.

[0007] US 8,417,403 discloses the control of the battery temperature of a vehicle in anticipation of future charging, 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.

[0008] US 9,728,990 discloses 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.

[0009] US 10,800,287 discloses in general the identification of a preconditioning window for a vehicle's battery temperature in view of rapid charging.

[0010] US 10,931 , 124 discloses a method for preconditioning a battery pack comprising identifying a battery charging site, setting a target temperature for the 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.

[0011] Existing solutions achieve the goal of conditioning the battery to a calibrated target temperature value, in order to start charging with the maximum possible power and minimise the charging time, but without optimising the energy consumption of the battery itself for the conditioning, i.e., for actuating the heating or cooling means of the battery. In fact, part of the energy used for the active battery conditioning is lost in the heat exchange with the environment.

[0012] 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 superfluous energy consumption in the battery temperature conditioning while minimizing the battery charging time. More specifically, the aim of the invention is to optimise the active battery conditioning so as to reach a predetermined target temperature to minimise the energy consumption of a battery conditioning system installed on board the vehicle.

[0013] According to the present invention, such aims 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.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] In summary, the present invention discloses a method and a system adapted to minimise the energy consumption of a battery conditioning system on board a vehicle and the recharging time of the traction battery of electric vehicles by dynamically optimising the active battery conditioning time, i.e., the activation time of the heating means or the cooling means of the battery conditioning system on board the vehicle. The determination of the activation time of the battery conditioning system is implemented dynamically while the vehicle is travelling towards the charging station, as a function of the current temperature and the target temperature of the battery, the thermal energy required for conditioning the battery (i.e., the thermal energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature value to the target temperature value, taking into account that the longer a journey to the charging station takes, the greater the thermal exchange of the battery with the external environment and the greater the energy required to reach the target temperature) and the thermal energy available to the vehicle for the battery temperature conditioning as a function of the space-time relationship between the current geographic location of the vehicle and the geographic location of the charging station (the energy available for conditioning depends on the capacity of the conditioning system for the estimated time required to reach the charging station), so as to ensure the minimum necessary conditioning on board the vehicle that minimises the energy drawn from the battery for the conditioning itself, activating the active battery conditioning only near the charging station, i.e., at the minimum distance from the charging station for which it is ensured that the target temperature is reached at the charging station.

[0017] The thermal energy available to the vehicle for the battery temperature conditioning includes at least one of, and preferably the set of, the thermal energy supplied by the heating means or absorbed by the cooling means, the thermal energy recoverable from the vehicle drive system, the battery self-heating energy, the thermal energy dissipated by the heating means or by the cooling means actuated by the conditioning system, the thermal energy exchanged by the battery with the environment.

[0018] The thermal energy that is supplied by the heating means or absorbed by the cooling means is a function of the maximum available power of the heating means or the cooling means and is constrained to the estimated residual state of charge of the battery at the start of charging, i.e., the estimated energy delivered by the battery on the route and / or in the expected time to the charging station.

[0019] The thermal energy recoverable from the traction system is the thermal energy supplied by the drive system, which includes electric engine and inverter for electric vehicles and also internal combustion engine for hybrid vehicles, and absorbed by the battery. This contribution intervenes in the battery heating and depends on the heat generated by the drive system, which for the purposes is not let to be dissipated by the heat exchanger of the vehicle engine, and is a function of the route and time expected to reach the charging station, the speed and acceleration of the vehicle, viz., proportional to the mechanical energy to be provided by the drive system.

[0020] The self-heating energy of the battery is also a function of the expected time to reach the charging station.

[0021] The thermal energy dissipated by the heating means or by the cooling means actuated by the conditioning system is also a function of the expected time to reach the charging station.

[0022] The thermal energy exchanged by the battery with the environment is always present and is also a function of the expected time to reach the charging station, and can be considered positive or negative depending on the ambient conditions, i.e., the relationship between the target temperature and the ambient temperature, and whether heating or cooling of the battery is required. For example, if the battery is to be heated and the ambient temperature is below the target temperature, the exchange of energy with the environment is negative (energy is lost). If the battery is to be cooled and the ambient temperature is lower than the target temperature, the energy exchange with the environment is positive, if the ambient temperature is higher than the target temperature the energy exchange is negative. In other words, in the case of heating, if the battery loses heat the energy exchange with the environment is negative, if the battery absorbs heat the energy exchange with the environment is positive, in the case of cooling the energy exchange with the environment is of the opposite sign.

[0023] As long as the thermal energy available to the vehicle for battery temperature conditioning is greater than the thermal energy required for battery conditioning, it is not necessary to activate the active conditioning of the battery, i.e., heating or cooling the battery with a component that consumes electricity from the battery for this purpose. Thereby, passive conditioning can be most exploited, viz., heating the battery by recovering heat from the propulsion system before activating active conditioning.

[0024] When the thermal energy available to the vehicle for battery temperature conditioning becomes equal to or less in absolute value than the thermal energy required for battery conditioning, active conditioning must be started. Advantageously, active conditioning can be initiated when the thermal energy available to the vehicle for battery temperature conditioning is still greater in absolute value than the thermal energy required for battery conditioning, but within a predetermined threshold of difference representing a safety margin.

[0025] This thereby minimises the energy consumption for active conditioning, since by conditioning the battery only near the charging station, viz., at the shortest distance from the charging station for which reaching the target temperature at the charging station is ensured, the heat exchange losses of the battery and the conditioning system with the environment are minimised, while still ensuring that the target temperature is reached at the start of charging, viz., the benefit in terms of minimising charging time remains unchanged.

[0026] The calculation of the thermal energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature and the estimation of the thermal energy available to the vehicle for the battery temperature conditioning make it possible to define the moment in time in which to activate the active conditioning system, as deferred as possible during the journey, so as to minimise heat exchange losses with the environment of the battery and the conditioning system, and thus minimise the consumption of the active conditioning and most exploit passive conditioning, e.g., heating by recovering heat from the propulsion system, before activating active conditioning.

[0027] Advantageously, the energy optimisation achieved as a result of the conditioning strategy according to the invention allows to reduce the energy consumption of the battery and thus to increase the energy range of the vehicle and thus the distance that the vehicle can travel, while keeping the benefit in terms of minimising the optimised charging time (or fast charging) unchanged, as reaching a predetermined target temperature of the battery at the start of charging is guaranteed. The benefit of using this strategy can be up to a 25% reduction in energy consumption for the conditioning step.

[0028] Advantageously, the method can be implemented by means of a computer configured through a program that realises the control logic underpinning the method, using sensors and controllers available on board the vehicle, without any modification to the vehicle's conditioning system (state-of-the-art thermal architectures exist that allow heat recovery from the traction system to the battery). Preferably, the provision of a navigation system on board the vehicle allows to provide data representing a space-time relationship between the geographic location of the charging station and the current geographic location of the vehicle, e.g., information on the path to the charging station, and thus information on the space and time distance to the charging station.

[0029] In particular, the method which is the subject matter of the invention has as its primary outcome the determination of an activation time for the heating means or the cooling means of the battery conditioning system. Furthermore, the method can also include the activation of the heating means or cooling means of the battery conditioning system, e.g., by emitting a command signal to activate the aforesaid heating means or cooling means.

[0030] The calculation of the activation time of the heating means or the cooling means of the battery conditioning system is carried out dynamically, e.g., according to a predetermined periodicity, and can be carried out when the current state of charge of the battery is below a predetermined charge threshold and advantageously when it is also above a predetermined residual charge threshold. The state of charge of the battery should at least ensure reaching the charging station, 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 nearby.

[0031] 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, wherein:

[0032] Figure 1 is an exemplary representation of the context of the invention;

[0033] Figure 2 is an indicative 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 of the battery temperature trend over time;

[0034] Figures 3a and 3b are exemplary diagrams comparing the operation of a system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the state of the art with the operation of a system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention; and

[0035] Figures 4a and 4b are representative graphs of two conditions of conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention.

[0036] The invention is disclosed 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 with the battery B, or to the battery pack B.

[0037] The positions of some charging stations CS available in the territory to recharge the battery of the vehicle V are also indicated on the map with SI, S2, ..., Sn, each of which presents a space-time relationship between its geographic location and the geographic location of the vehicle over time, which is variable when the vehicle is travelling, and is represented by at least one characteristic operating parameter, which comprises the maximum deliverable charging power, i.e., the maximum deliverable charging current.

[0038] The space-time relationship between the geographic location of each available charging station and the geographic location of the vehicle is indicative of the mutual spatial distance between said station and the vehicle and / or an expected travel time for reaching said charging station.

[0039] 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, characteristic of the charging stations, which together form data representative of at least one charging station available to charge the vehicle battery, refers to the charging stations along a predetermined navigation path of the vehicle.

[0040] In Figure 2, the implementation of the inventive concept is shown by depicting a system for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention and the battery temperature trend over time.

[0041] The battery temperature conditioning system according to the invention comprises a computer module for processing data indicative of the thermal management of the battery, denoted overall by 10, and a computer module for actively controlling the heating means and cooling means of the battery temperature conditioning system, denoted overall by 20. Both the computer module 10 for processing data indicative of the thermal management of the battery and the computer module 20 for the active control of the heating and cooling means of the battery conditioning system are adapted to interact with sensors and controllers available on board the vehicle.

[0042] The computer module 10 is arranged to determine (or otherwise acquire) a target battery temperature at the start of battery charging at an available charging station, or a plurality of available charging stations, near the vehicle or along the navigation path calculated by the navigation device N. For example, the target battery temperature can be determined as a function of the current battery temperature, the current state of charge of the battery, the estimated state of charge of the battery at the charging station as a function of the space-time relationship between the geographic location of said station and the current geographic location of the vehicle, the maximum charging power deliverable by the charging station, and the maximum available value of the current heating and cooling capacity of the battery conditioning system of the vehicle.

[0043] The computer module 10 is arranged to emit a signal or data element T_TGT indicative of the target battery temperature determined or otherwise acquired towards the computer module 20.

[0044] The computer module 10 is also arranged to determine or otherwise acquire a maximum available value of current conditioning capacity of the battery heating and cooling means of the vehicle, e.g., as a function of a current ambient temperature detected by a relative ambient temperature sensor (depending on the type of on-board conditioning system) and current fault status, and to output signals or data POW indicative of the current heating and cooling capacity of the battery conditioning system towards the computer module 20. Lastly, the computer module 10 is adapted to estimate the total contribution of thermal energy that the battery can acquire or passively cede, including the thermal energy that can be absorbed by the vehicle's drive system, the self-heating energy of the battery, the thermal energy dissipated by the heating means or the cooling means actuated by the conditioning system, and the thermal energy exchanged by the battery with the environment.

[0045] The computer module 10 is arranged to emit a signal or data element EN_PASS indicating the total contribution of thermal energy that the battery can acquire or passively cede towards the computer module 20.

[0046] The computer module 20 is further adapted to acquire from the navigation device N data representative of a space-time relationship between the current geographic location of the vehicle and the geographic location of said charging station, such as at least one of a signal or data element T_S and a signal or data element D_S respectively indicative of the estimated time to reach the identified charging station and the estimated distance to the identified charging station.

[0047] Based on the signals or data received in input, the computer module 20 is programmed to calculate the thermal energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature (the thermal energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature depends on the required temperature difference and the thermal inertia of the battery, as well as factors such as the heat exchange of the battery and the fluid of the conditioning system with the external environment (which depends on the time taken by the vehicle to reach the charging station) and the passive heating of the battery, to estimate the thermal energy available to the vehicle for the battery temperature conditioning as a function of the space-time relationship between the current geographic location of the vehicle and the geographic location of the charging station, and to emit a request signal, or a command signal, S_ACT to activate the heating means or the cooling means of the battery conditioning system, respectively, if the current battery temperature is lower than the target battery temperature or if the current battery temperature is higher than the target battery temperature, in response to the condition that the thermal energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature is equal to or greater than the thermal energy available to the vehicle for battery temperature conditioning, or is lower in absolute value than the thermal energy available to the vehicle for battery temperature conditioning within a predetermined threshold. The thermal energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature depends on the required temperature difference and the thermal inertia of the battery, as well as factors such as the heat exchange of the battery and the fluid of the conditioning system with the external environment (which depends on the time it takes to the vehicle to reach the charging station) and the passive heating of the battery.

[0048] The time diagram in the lower part of Figure 2 shows the battery temperature trend from an initial value T_0 (e.g., -10 °C) to the target value T_TGT (e.g. 30 °C) in a time interval tO- t2. In the first part of the interval, from time tO to time tl, the battery temperature evolves freely as a function of the heat exchange with the environment, the vehicle traction system and for battery self-heating. In the second part of the interval, from time tl to time t2, the battery temperature evolves in a controlled manner due to the active intervention of the conditioning system, in this specific example due to the operation of the heating means, until reaching the predetermined target temperature T_TGT.

[0049] Figures 3a and 3b show a comparison between the operation of the battery temperature conditioning system according to the invention disclosed above (Figure 3b) and the operation of a battery temperature conditioning system according to the state of the art (Figure 3a). In Figure 3b, the battery temperature TBATT evolves up to reaching the target temperature (curve A), the thermal power P provided by the heating means for the active heating of the battery, produced by consuming electricity from the battery itself, is indicated by curve B and limited to the time interval 11 -t2. On the other hand, in Figure 3a the battery temperature TBATT evolves up to reaching the target temperature (curve A) with a more linear trend, but at the expense of a greater thermal power P supplied by the heating means for the active heating of the battery, produced by consuming electricity from the battery itself, indicated by curve B, whose value is non-zero for a longer time, in this example distributed over several discrete time intervals. As shown in Figure 3b, knowing the target temperature, the invention aims to activate battery conditioning only in proximity of the charging station, viz., at the end of the path, while ensuring that the target temperature is reached at the charging station.

[0050] Figures 4a and 4b are representative diagrams of two temperature conditioning conditions of a traction battery of an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention, in the case of active battery heating and in the case of active battery cooling, respectively.

[0051] Figure 4a refers exemplarily to a battery temperature conditioning condition over a time interval of Ih for a vehicle travelling at a constant speed of 120 km / h at an ambient temperature of -10°C, wherein the initial state of charge of the battery is 70%.

[0052] Figure 4b refers exemplarily to a battery temperature conditioning condition over a time interval of Ih for a vehicle travelling at a constant speed of 120 km / h at an ambient temperature of 40 °C, where the initial state of charge of the battery is 70%.

[0053] Both Figures 4a and 4b show two graphs, respectively, an upper graph indicative of the trend of the thermal energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature over time (curve C) and of the thermal energy available to the vehicle for the battery temperature conditioning (curve D), and a lower graph indicative of the trend of the target battery temperature (curve E) and the current battery temperature over time (curve F).

[0054] As shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the starting instant of pre-conditioning (denoted tl' in Figure 4a and denoted tl" in Figure 4b) is defined by comparing the energy required for conditioning, i.e., the energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature (curve C) with the energy available to the vehicle for the battery temperature conditioning (curve D), i.e., the sum of the available energy of the conditioning system, of the thermal energy recoverable from the traction system, of the self-heating energy of the battery and of the thermal energy dissipated by the conditioning system and by heat exchange with the environment. As long as the energy represented by curve D is greater in absolute value than the energy represented by curve C, it is not necessary to activate active battery conditioning. Active conditioning refers to heating / cooling with a component that consumes electricity from the battery for this purpose. Conversely, when the energy represented by curve D becomes equal to or less in absolute value than the energy represented by curve C, or when the energy represented by curve D is greater in absolute value than the energy represented by curve C, but within a predetermined threshold of difference representing a safety margin, active conditioning must be initiated. Clearly, if the battery is to be heated, the energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature must be compared with the thermal capacity of the heating means; if the battery is to be cooled, the energy required to bring the battery from the current temperature to the target temperature must be compared with the thermal capacity of the cooling means.

[0055] With reference to the example in Figure 4a, following the comparison, starting at the instant tl' the computer module 20 requests battery heating, which is managed by actuating the onboard heating means to condition the battery temperature starting from an instant of time as deferred as possible in the course of the journey, in order to minimise heat loss. In the overall time interval from tO to t2, the battery temperature increases during travelling due to passive heating and the Joule effect, but additional active heating (through on-board heating means) is required to reach the target temperature starting from the time instant tl'.

[0056] With reference to the example in Figure 4b, following the comparison, starting from the instant tl", the computer module requires battery cooling, which is managed by actuating the on-board cooling means to condition the battery temperature starting from an instant of time as deferred as possible in the course of the journey to minimise the heat exchange with the environment. In the total time interval from tO to t2, the battery temperature is maintained at a maximum permitted value during the journey, but additional active cooling (through onboard cooling means) is required to reach the target temperature starting from the time instant tl".

[0057] Advantageously, thanks to the system and the method according to the invention, the activation of the heating means or the cooling means of the battery conditioning system is performed starting from a moment in time that is as deferred as possible while travelling, and this makes it possible to minimise heat loss or heat exchange with the environment and to optimise conditioning, ensuring that energy is not wasted in order to obtain conditioning for an unnecessary prolonged time.

[0058] In particular, the main benefit is the energy optimisation of the conditioning step, which avoids (or limits) superfluous energy consumption of the battery for its own conditioning.

[0059] 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 conditioning system (C) of the battery (B) including battery heating means and battery cooling means powered by said battery (B), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: acquiring the current temperature (T_BATT) of the battery (B); acquiring representative data of a space-time relationship between the current geographical location of the vehicle (V) and the geographical location of at least one charging station (SI, Sn) available to charge said battery (B); acquiring a target battery temperature (T_TGT) at the start of battery charging (B) at said charging station (SI, ..., Sn);- calculating the thermal energy required to bring the battery (B) from the current temperature (T_BATT) to the target temperature (T_TGT);- estimating the thermal energy available to the vehicle (V) for battery temperature conditioning as a function of the space-time relationship between the current geographical location of the vehicle (V) and the geographical location of the charging station (SI, ..., Sn); and emitting a request signal or determining a command to activate the heating means or the cooling means of the conditioning system (C) of the battery (B), if the current temperature (T_BATT) of the battery (B) is lower than the target battery temperature (T_TGT) or if the current temperature (T_BATT) of the battery (B) is higher than the target battery temperature (T_TGT), respectively, in response to the condition that the thermal energy required to bring the battery (B) from the current temperature (T_BATT) to the target temperature (T_TGT) is equal to or greater in absolute value than the thermal energy available to the vehicle (V) for battery temperature conditioning or is lower in absolute value than the thermal energy available to the vehicle (V) for battery temperature conditioning within a predetermined threshold.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the thermal energy available to the vehicle (V) for battery temperature conditioning includes at least one of the thermal energy that is provided by the heating means or absorbed by the cooling means, the thermal energyrecoverable from the vehicle drive system (V), the battery (B) self-heating energy, the thermal energy dissipated by the heating means or by the cooling means actuated by the conditioning system (C), the thermal energy exchanged by the battery (B) with the environment.

3. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein acquiring data representative of the space-time relationship between the current geographic location of the vehicle (V) and the geographic location 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 navigation path (V).

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said data representative of a space-time relationship between the current geographic location of the vehicle (V) and the geographic location of said charging station (S I, ..., Sn) is at least one of a mutual 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 of the preceding claims, wherein the thermal energy that is supplied by the heating means or absorbed by the cooling means is calculated as a function of the ambient temperature.

6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the comparison between the thermal energy required to bring the battery (B) from the current temperature (T_B ATT) to the target temperature (T_TGT) and the thermal energy available to the vehicle (V) for battery temperature conditioning is performed periodically.

7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the comparison between the thermal energy required to bring the battery (B) from the current temperature (T_BATT) to the target temperature (T_TGT) and the thermal energy available to the vehicle (V) for battery temperature conditioning is performed when the current state of charge of the battery (B) is below a predetermined charging threshold.

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

9. System for conditioning the temperature of a traction battery (B) of an electric or hybrid vehicle (V) equipped with a conditioning system (C) of the battery (B) comprising battery heating means and battery cooling means powered by said battery (B), characterized in that it comprises: means for sensing the current temperature (T_BATT) of the battery (B); and processing means (20), configured for: acquiring data representative of a space-time relationship between the current geographical location of the vehicle (V) and the geographical location of at least one charging station (SI, ..., Sn) available to charge said battery (B); acquiring a target battery temperature (T_TGT) at the start of battery charging (B) at said charging station (SI, ..., Sn); calculating the thermal energy required to bring the battery (B) from the current temperature (T_BATT) to the target temperature (T_TGT); estimating the thermal energy available to the vehicle (V) for battery temperature conditioning as a function of the space-time relationship between the current geographical location of the vehicle (V) and the geographical location of the charging station (SI, ..., Sn); and issuing a request signal or determining a command to activate the heating means or the cooling means of the conditioning system (C) of the battery (B), if the current temperature (T_BATT) of the battery (B) is below the target battery temperature (T_TGT) or if the current temperature (T_BATT) of the battery (B) is above the target battery temperature (T_TGT), respectively, in response to the condition that the thermal energy required to bring the battery (B) from the current temperature (T_BATT) to the target temperature (T_TGT) is equal to or greater in absolute value than the thermal energy available to the vehicle (V) for battery temperature conditioning, or is lower in absolute value than the thermal energy available to the vehicle (V) for battery temperature conditioning within a predetermined threshold.

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