Method for estimating a range of a vehicle having an electric traction motor and corresponding vehicle

Abstract

A method for estimating a range (R) of a vehicle having at least one electric traction motor and at least one battery having a current state of charge, configured to be charged up to a target state of charge (SOCTgt) higher than said current state of charge; wherein said method comprises: - determining a target range (RTgt) associated with said target state of charge (SOCTgt); - determining an energy (EHVB) storable in said at least one battery when the current state of charge of the at least one battery reaches said target state of charge (SOCTgt), said energy (EHVB) being determined as a function of said target state of charge (SOCTgt) and of a current temperature of said at least one battery; - determining a target value (GTgt) of a coefficient via a division operation between said target range (Rrgt) and said energy (EHVB); and - determining a trend of said coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery, ending, in correspondence of said target state of charge (SOCTgt), in said target value (GTgt), the trend of said coefficient being used during charging operations of said at least one battery to estimate said range (R), by multiplying a value of the trend of said coefficient related to the current state of charge of the at least one battery by an energy currently stored in said at least one battery.

Description

[0001] "Method for estimating a range of a vehicle having an electric traction motor and corresponding vehicle" ★★★★

[0002] TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

[0003] Field of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present disclosure refer to methods for estimating ranges of vehicles having electric traction motors.

[0005] Specifically, various embodiments of the present description regard solutions for estimating ranges of vehicles having electric traction motors during a charging operation of a high-voltage battery comprised in said vehicles.

[0006] Known Art

[0007] The estimate of the range of a vehicle having an electric traction motor (that is, "Battery Electrical Vehicle" - BEV) during charging is a crucial element for the users of electrical vehicles, since such estimate indicates a remaining travel range of the vehicle after said charging.

[0008] During a charging process of a vehicle having an electric traction motor, the range of said vehicle increases in time. It is to be noted that said increase may be viewed by a driver of said vehicle, for example, on the dashboard of the vehicle.

[0009] The relationship by which said range increases as a function of the vehicle charging is defined by the manufacturer of the vehicle, in the absence of specific regulations .

[0010] Typically, known solutions estimate said range R, for example, expressed in kilometres (km), as a product of an estimate of the energy stored in the high-voltage battery of the vehicle EHVB, for example expressed in kilojoules (kJ), by a gain G indicative of an estimate of the kilometres per consumption unit observed during the latest movement (or the latest N movements, with N>1) of the vehicle, for example expressed in kilometres / kilojoules (km / kJ), that is:

[0011] R = G *Efjyg

[0012] Said product may be used to estimate the range R of a vehicle also during the charging of a high-voltage battery comprised in said vehicle.

[0013] During a process of charging of a high-voltage battery comprised in a vehicle having an electric traction motor, the State of Charge ("SOC") of said high- voltage battery comprised in the vehicle rises, thus increasing the estimate of the energy stored in said battery EHVB-

[0014] Said increase of the estimate of the energy stored in said battery EHVB as a function of the increase of the state of charge may be influenced by various factors, such as, for example, the temperature of the battery T.

[0015] Indeed, typically, said estimate of the energy stored in the high-voltage battery EHVB is obtained as a function of a state of charge SOC and of the temperature T of said battery, that is, obtaining EHVB= EHVB(SOCT~).

[0016] For example, by charging said battery via a fast charging option using direct current (DC), the temperature T reached and maintained by the battery will be (even much) greater than the temperature reached and maintained during a charge via a charging option using alternating current (AC).

[0017] Therefore, the range R may vary as well, for example, by increasing, as a function of the temperature T of the high-voltage battery, for example, of a respective increase of said temperature T.

[0018] Moreover, the range R may vary as a function of the estimate of the kilometres per consumption unit G, for example, increasing or decreasing based on an increase or a decrease of said estimate. It is noted that said estimate of the kilometres per consumption unit G varies according to the driving style adopted by the driver during the latest movement (or the latest N movements) of the vehicle prior to charging: for example, the more aggressive the driving style, the fewer kilometres can be travelled per kilojoule of spent energy, and therefore the value of the estimate G will be lower.

[0019] A problem related to the use of the known solution described in the foregoing is that, at the end of the charging, when the state of charge of the high-voltage battery has reached the target state of charge, for example, 100%, the range R of the vehicle may acquire various different values which depend, as stated in the foregoing, on the temperature T of the battery and on the driving style of the driver.

[0020] Said variation of the range R of the vehicle in response to complete charging cycles may cause confusion to the driver, since the maximum range of the vehicle, which may be displayed, for example, on the dashboard, varies at the end of every charging process.

[0021] Said variation of the maximum travel range perceived by the driver may further worsen the so-called "range anxiety", that is, the driver's fear that a vehicle may not have enough stored energy to cover the distance needed to reach an envisaged destination.

[0022] Indeed, said variation of the maximum range perceived by the driver may cause, for example, a driver's distrust towards the displayed range, for example, resulting in a distrust when planning long travels.

[0023] Solutions for solving the problem described in the foregoing would therefore be advantageous.

[0024] Object of the Invention

[0025] The invention aims at solving the technical problems outlined in the foregoing. Specifically, the object of the invention consists in providing a method for estimating a range of a vehicle having an electric traction motor during a charging operation of a high- voltage battery comprised in said vehicle, for example, via a method which enables reaching a same range value at the end of a charging operation, for example, a complete charging, that is, in correspondence of a state of charge of the battery which equals a target value, for example, 100%.

[0026] Summary of the Invention

[0027] The object of the invention is achieved by a method having the features set forth in the claims that follow, which are an integral part of the technical teaching provided herein in relation to the invention.

[0028] One or more embodiments refer to a corresponding vehicle.

[0029] Brief Description of the Figures

[0030] One or more embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the annexed Figures, wherein:

[0031] - Figure 1 shows exemplary trends of an estimate of the range of a vehicle having an electric traction motor, of a gain, and of an energy stored in a high-voltage battery of said vehicle as a function of a state of charge of said battery during a charging operation, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] - Figure 2 shows a flow chart of a method for managing said gain both during a charging operation of the high-voltage battery of the vehicle and during the drive, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0033] - Figure 3 shows trends of the range of the vehicle over time according to embodiments of the present description, considering a scenario wherein a switch from driving to a vehicle charging operation, and again to driving is present.

[0034] Detailed Description

[0035] In the following description, one or more specific details are illustrated in order to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments may be obtained without one or more of the specific details or with other methods, components, materials etc. In other instances, known operations, materials or structures are not illustrated or described in detail, in order not to obscure certain aspects of the embodiments.

[0036] A reference to "an embodiment" or to "one embodiment" in the present description indicates that a particular configuration, structure or characteristic described with reference to the embodiment is comprised in at least one embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as "in an embodiment" or "in one embodiment" which may be present in one or more instances of the present description do not necessarily refer to one and the same embodiment.

[0037] Moreover, particular configurations, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable fashion in one or more embodiments.

[0038] The references used herein are provided for convenience only, and do not define the extent of protection or the extent of the embodiments.

[0039] In all the Figures annexed herein and throughout the detailed description provided in the following, unless the context dictates otherwise, the similar parts or elements are denoted with similar references / numbers, and a corresponding description will not be repeated for brevity.

[0040] As stated in the foregoing, solutions as described in the present document aim at favouring the reaching of a same value of range at the end of a charging process, for example, a complete charging, that is, in correspondence of a state of charge of the battery equal to a target value, for example, 100%.

[0041] Therefore, solutions as described in the present document are configured to display, for example, on the vehicle dashboard, a fixed and predefined range value, for example, a value related to a maximum reachable range, when a high-voltage battery comprised in said vehicle has a determined charging level, for example, in correspondence of a complete charge of said battery, that is, in correspondence of the reaching of a target state of charge, for example, equal to 100%.

[0042] To this end, it is possible to condition the estimate of the range R described in the foregoing (that is, the product of the estimate of the energy stored in the high-voltage battery of the vehicle EHVB by the estimate of the kilometres per consumption unit G observed during the last movement - or the last N movements, with N>1 - of the vehicle, that is, R = G * EHVB)r during the charging phase, targeting said predefined value of the range RTgtwhile approaching said target state of charge SOCTgt, for example, equal to 100%.

[0043] Said conditioning of the estimate of the range R is advantageously operated while attempting to minimize the impact on the estimate operation of said range, performed by means of the previously defined product, and the impacts on the perception of the range by the driver, for example, by attempting to minimize the deviations from a range obtained by considering the previous driving style of the driver.

[0044] Therefore, it is possible to fix at least one point in the trend of the estimate of the range R, that is, a point characterized by said predefined value of the range RTgtand by the target state of charge SOCTgt, in a context which usually exhibits a high variability of the trend of such estimate due to the dependence of the range R on a plurality of factor beside the state of charge SOC of the battery, for example, factors ranging from physical parameters of the battery to the driving style of the driver, thus making the estimate of the range variable over time and non-linear.

[0045] In this way, by displaying a same range RTgtin response to the reaching of the target state of charge SOCTgt, that is, to the reaching of said fixed point of the trend of the estimate, for example at the end of a charging operation, it is possible to mitigate the "range anxiety", thereby increasing the driver's trust towards the range which is displayed.

[0046] Solutions as described in the present document relate to a method which enables calculating a gain value G different from the value indicative of the estimate of the kilometres per consumption unit when approaching, during charging, the target state of charge SOCTgt.

[0047] It is noted that said gain G acquires a target value GTgt in correspondence of the target state of charge SOCTgt, in such a way as to obtain the same determined range RTgt.

[0048] As described in the foregoing, solutions according to the present description are considered during charging operations of the vehicle.

[0049] It is noted that solutions as described in the present document may also take into consideration the switch from the calculation according to the method described in the following of the gain G during a charging operation and the known calculation of the gain G indicative of the estimate of the kilometres per consumption unit used when the charging is interrupted, so as to avoid having a discontinuity in the estimate of the range of the vehicle displayed to the driver. Solutions as described in the present document may also take into consideration the reverse switch, that is, the switch from the known calculation of the gain G to the calculation according to the method described in the foregoing, when the charging is started.

[0050] Figure 1 shows, according to embodiments of the present description, exemplary behaviours 10 of an estimate of the range R of a vehicle having an electric traction motor, of a gain G, and of an energy EHVB stored in a high-voltage battery of said vehicle as a function of a state of charge SOC of said battery during a charging operation.

[0051] Therefore, in correspondence of the target state of charge SOCTgt reached, for example, at the end of the charging operation of the high-voltage battery of the vehicle (for example, a state of charge equal to 100%), the range R acquires a value equal to the predefined value of the range RTgt, obtaining:

[0052] R(SOCTgt;f)= RTgtirrespective of the value of the temperature T.

[0053] Moreover, the target value of the gain GTgtis defined as the gain value which, in correspondence of the target state of charge SOCTgt, for example, at the end of the charging operation, enables reaching the predefined value of the range RTgt, that is: w ’ EHVB(socTse,n while still being in the charging phase, that is, when the vehicle is still connected to the external charging station.

[0054] It is noted that said target value of the gain GTgtdepends on the current temperature T of the high-voltage battery and, hence, such target value of the gain is not a single value but it can acquire different values as a function of the temperature T.

[0055] At the beginning of the charging operation of the high-voltage battery of the vehicle, said battery may be characterized via:

[0056] - an initial state of charge SOCinit, corresponding to the state of charge of the high-voltage battery at the beginning of the charging operation; and

[0057] - an initial temperature Tin±t, corresponding to the temperature of the high-voltage battery at the beginning of the charging operation.

[0058] Moreover, it is possible to define an initial gain Ginit corresponding to a latest value calculated for the gain G, indicative of the estimate of the kilometres per consumption unit during a phase wherein the high-voltage battery of the vehicle is not under charging conditions.

[0059] In said conditions, the initial range Rinit of the vehicle, corresponding to an available range at the instant when the charging operation is started, may be obtained via the following equation:

[0060] Rinit~ ^init*^HVB(^OCinn,'Tinit)

[0061] During the charging operation, the state of charge SOC of the high-voltage battery increases and the temperature T evolves depending on the initial temperature Tinitr on the type of the charging operation performed, that is, either direct current DC or alternating current AC charging, and on the environmental conditions.

[0062] Therefore, the energy EHVB stored in the high- voltage battery increases over time during the charging operation in response to the increase of the state of charge SOC of the battery and of the temperature T, and following a trend which is not known in advance due to the uncertainty related to the evolution of the temperature T.

[0063] An exemplary energy EHVB stored in the high-voltage battery may be, for example, the energy represented by the trend shown as a grey line in the third diagram of Figure 1, representing the evolution of said energy- stored in the high-voltage battery EHVB, for example expressed in kilojoules (kJ), as a function of the state of charge of the high-voltage battery, for example expressed as a percentage (%).

[0064] The method which enables calculating the gain value G according to embodiments of the present solution is based on the fact that the gain G is updated while charging the high-voltage battery following a trend that:

[0065] - starts, in correspondence of the initial state of charge SOCinit, from a value equal to the initial gain Ginitr moves towards the target value of the gain GTgtfor increasing values of the state of charge SOC; and

[0066] - ends, in correspondence of the target state of charge SOCTgt, at a value corresponding to said target value of the gain GTgt.

[0067] Therefore, solutions as described in the present document enable obtaining a method for estimating a range R of a vehicle having:

[0068] - at least one electric traction motor, and

[0069] - at least one battery, for example the high-voltage battery described in the foregoing, having a current state of charge SOC and being configured to be charged up to a target state of charge, for example corresponding to the target state of charge SOCTgtr which is higher than said current state of charge SOC.

[0070] The method described in the present document comprises:

[0071] - determining a target range, for example having the predefined range value RTgt, associated with said target state of charge SOCTgt; for example, said target range RTgtmay be a maximum range reachable when said current state of charge SOC of the at least one battery reaches said target state of charge SOCTgt; in other words, it may be the maximum range which is possible to achieve when the state of charge of the high-voltage battery is equal to the target state of charge SOCTgt;

[0072] - determining an energy EHVB storable in said at least one battery when the current state of charge SOC of the at least one battery reaches said target state of charge SOCTgt, that is, the energy EHVB storable in the high-voltage battery of the vehicle when the state of charge of said battery equals the target state of charge SOCTgt, said energy EHVB being determined as a function of said target state of charge SOCTgtand of a current temperature T of said at least one battery;

[0073] - determining, for example by means of a first determination block 200 described in the following, a target value of a coefficient, that is, the target value of the gain GTgtdescribed in the foregoing, via a division operation between said target range RTgtand said energy EHVB; and

[0074] - determining, for example by means of a second calculation block 206 described in the following, a trend of said coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery, ending, in correspondence of said target state of charge SOCTgt, in said target value Glgt•

[0075] The trend of said coefficient, that is, the trend of the gain G, is used during charging operations of the at least one battery to estimate said range R of the vehicle by multiplying a value of the trend of said coefficient related to the current state of charge SOC of the at least one battery by an energy currently stored in said at least one battery.

[0076] Usually, as described in the foregoing, said gain G is indicative of the estimate of the kilometres per consumption unit obtained as a function of one or more driving styles of the driver observed over a time or space window prior to the charging operation, for example, during the latest movement (or the latest N movements, with N>1) of the vehicle prior to the charging operation of the high-voltage battery.

[0077] Therefore, in methods according to the present description, the initial value Ginit of said coefficient, that is, the initial value Ginit, is obtained as a function of the kilometres travelled by the vehicle per consumption unit of the energy stored in the at least one battery during a time window prior to said charging operation, for example, during the latest movement (or the latest N movements, with N>1) of the vehicle prior to the charging operation of the high-voltage battery.

[0078] Therefore, modifying said value according to the present solution corresponds to cancelling what has been learnt about said one or more driving styles, resetting said one or more driving styles to a predetermined value, that is, to a nominal value consistent with the energy of the high-voltage battery in correspondence of the target state of charge SOCTgt, for example 100%, and with the predefined value of the range R.igt, for example the maximum range travelable by the vehicle.

[0079] The implementation of the trend of the gain G, that is, the definition of how said gain G passes from the value equal to the initial gain Ginit to the target value of the gain GTgt, defines how the cancelling of said one or more driving styles has to take place while approaching the target (desired) state of charge SOCTgt, and it may be any trend.

[0080] For example, a possible implementation of the trend of the gain G may be a linear trend, obtained via a linear interpolation operated on the basis of the state of charge SOC of the high-voltage battery of the vehicle, that is, via an equation of a straight line passing through a first point at said initial state of charge SOCinit and having an initial gain Ginit, and through a second point at said target state of charge SOCTgtr and having a gain equal to the target value of the gain GTgt: wherein the cancellation of said one or more driving styles takes place starting from the moment when the charging operation starts.

[0081] Said linear trend may be, for example, the trend shown as a grey line in the second diagram of Figure 1, showing the evolution of said gain G, for example expressed in kilometres / kilojoules (km / kJ), as a function of the state of charge of the high-voltage battery, for example expressed as a percentage (%).

[0082] A corresponding exemplary range R obtained by considering said linear trend may be, for example, the trend shown as a grey line in the first diagram of Figure 1, showing the evolution of said range R, for example expressed in kilometres (km), as a function of the state of charge of the high-voltage battery, for example expressed as a percentage (%).

[0083] It is noted that the trend of the range R which is displayed, for example, on the dashboard of the vehicle, is influenced by the trend of the gain G which has been selected.

[0084] Unlike said trend of the range R, the trend of the energy EHVB stored in the high-voltage battery is not influenced by the chosen trend of the gain G.

[0085] Therefore, in methods according to the present disclosure, the trend of the coefficient, that is the trend of the gain G, may be linear, and the operation of determining, for example by means of the second calculation block 206, the trend of the coefficient as a function of states of charge of the at least one battery, for example the high voltage battery of the vehicle, may be performed via a linear interpolation passing through:

[0086] - a first pair of values comprising the initial state of charge SOCinit and the initial value, that is, the initial gain Ginit, and

[0087] - a second pair of values comprising the target state of charge SOCTgt and the target value GTgt, that is, the target value of the gain GTgt.

[0088] It is noted that the linear trend described in the foregoing is only an exemplary trend; therefore, it is also possible to consider different trends.

[0089] For example, a further implementation of the trend of the gain G may be achieved by defining a further state of charge value SOCBPcomprised between said initial state of charge SOCinit and said target state of charge SOCTgt, said further state of charge value SOCBPbeing a separation point between two different trends, that is:

[0090] - a first trend used for state of charge values lower than (or possibly equal to) said further state of charge value SOCBP; and

[0091] - a second trend used for state of charge values greater than (or possibly equal to) said further state of charge value SOCBP.

[0092] Said first trend may be, for example:

[0093] G(^SOC;T)= Ginitffor SOC < SOCBP

[0094] Said second trend may be, for example:

[0095] It is noted that the sign of the equality may also be considered in the equation related to the second trend.

[0096] By means of this further implementation of the trend of the gain G, the one or more driving styles are kept stored (and are not changed) until the state of charge SOC of the battery reaches the further state of charge value SOCBp.

[0097] After reaching the further state of charge value SOCBp, said one or more driving styles are cancelled.

[0098] Therefore, by means of this further implementation of the trend of the gain G, it is possible to limit the cancellation of the one or more driving styles and, consequently, of the related kilometres travelled by the vehicle per consumption unit, only for high values of the state of charge SOC, that is, when approaching the target state of charge SOCTgt, so as to exhibit the same range value in correspondence of said target state of charge SOCTgt without modifying, before approaching said value, the kilometres travelled by the vehicle per consumption unit related to the one or more stored driving styles.

[0099] It is noted that said further state of charge value SOCBp may be defined by considering a trade-off between providing a range consistent with the one or more driving styles of the driver and providing a range which is always the same when reaching the target state of charge SOClgt.

[0100] Said further trend of the gain G may be, for example, the trend shown as a black line in the second diagram of Figure 1, showing the evolution of said gain G, for example expressed in kilometres / kilojoule (km / kJ), as a function of the state of charge of the high-voltage battery, for example expressed as a percentage (%).

[0101] A corresponding exemplary range R obtained by considering said further trend may be, for example, the trend shown as a black line in the first diagram of Figure 1, showing the evolution of said range R, for example expressed in kilometres (km), as a function of the state of charge of the high-voltage battery, for example expressed as a percentage (%). Therefore, in methods according to the present disclosure, the trend of the coefficient, that is, the trend of the gain G, may be piecewise linear and the operation of determining, for example by means of the second calculation block 206, said trend of the coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery, for example the high-voltage battery, comprises:

[0102] - selecting a separation state of charge, that is, the further state of charge value SOCBP, lower than said target state of charge SOCTgt;

[0103] - determining, if the initial state of charge SOCinitis lower than the separation state of charge SOCBP, a first linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge lower than said separation state of charge SOCBp via a constant function of value equal to said initial value Ginit, that is, equal to the initial gain Ginit; and determining a second linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge higher than said separation state of charge SOCBPvia a linear interpolation passing through a third pair of values, comprising said separation state of charge SOCBPand said initial value Ginit and said second pair of values comprising said target state of charge SOCTgtand said target value GTgt.

[0104] In addition, the second diagram of Figure 1 shows, by means of a dash-dot line, the trend of the gain G according to known solutions, that is a gain G which always keeps stored in memory the one or more driving styles of the driver:

[0105] G=Ginit

[0106] It is noted that said trend of the gain G according to known solutions does not reach, in correspondence of the target state of charge SOCTgt, the target value of the gain GTgt-

[0107] A trend of a range R obtained as a function of the trend of the gain G according to known solutions is shown, in the first diagram of Figure 1, by a dash-dot line.

[0108] It is noted that said trend of the range R obtained as a function of the trend of the gain G according to known solutions does not reach, in correspondence of the target state of charge SOCTgt, the predefined value of the range RTgt, for example, the maximum range which can be travelled by the vehicle, since it shows, as a function of the value acquired by the initial gain Ginit, a value that is always different in correspondence of the target state of charge SOCTgt.

[0109] Therefore, whatever is the trend of the gain G according to embodiments of the present description (that is, whatever trend of the gain G starting at a value equal to the initial gain Ginit and ending, in correspondence of the target state of charge SOCTgt, at the target value of the gain GTgt), it is possible to use said trend instead of the dynamic equation used to calculate the value of gain G when a charging operation of the high-voltage battery of the vehicle is not taking place, for example, when said vehicle is moving.

[0110] Said dynamic equation may be represented as follows: that is, said gain G may be obtained as a function F(-) of a division between a first term, obtained as a function / (■) of a speed of the vehicle v, for example expressed in kilometres per second (km / s), and of a second term obtained as a function / (■) of a power P used during travelling, for example expressed in kilowatts (kW).

[0111] For example, said functions F(-) and / or / (■) may be dynamic processes comprising moving averages, filters, or the like, for example, averaged over time and / or space.

[0112] Therefore, a method according to the present disclosure may comprise an operation of determining, for example performed by means of a first calculation block 204 described in the following, a further trend of said coefficient, that is, a further trend of the gain G obtained, for example, via the dynamic equation described in the foregoing, as a function of a speed v of said vehicle and of a power P used during a movement of said vehicle.

[0113] The further trend of said coefficient may be used during operations different from charging operations, for example during the movement of the vehicle, to estimate said range R of the vehicle by multiplying a value of the further trend of said coefficient related to the current state of charge SOC of the at least one battery by an energy currently stored in said at least one battery.

[0114] It is noted that, in the following description, a specific function will be considered for said dynamic equation of the gain G.

[0115] Said considered function is to be understood as an exemplary function and, therefore, it is not to be considered as limiting the extent of protection of the present document. Indeed, the considerations described in the following may equally be applied to any other function used to implement said dynamic equation of the gain G.

[0116] Therefore, without losing generality, the following equation is considered: wherein: the gain G is the output of the function, implementing a first order low-pass filter;

[0117] Gsindicates a state of the gain G;

[0118] Go indicates the initial condition of said state of the gain G; fc = 0,1,... is used to number successive updates of the state of the gain G on the basis of the space travelled by the vehicle and / or on the basis of the time elapsed; and a and b are coefficients of the function implementing said filter.

[0119] It is noted that said function is a specific case of the general formula of the dynamic equation described in the foregoing; indeed, said function implementing a filter may be obtained by considering f(u)= u, that is, considering (■) as an identity function, and F(-) as the filter described in the foregoing.

[0120] Therefore, two operative states of the vehicle are defined:

[0121] - a first state of charging, wherein the high- voltage battery of the vehicle is recharged by means of a charging operation; and

[0122] - a second state of driving, wherein said charging operation is not performed, for example, indicating a driving state, that is, a condition of movement of the vehicle.

[0123] Figure 2 shows a flow chart 20 of a method for managing said gain G during said first state of charging, said second state of driving, and the transitions CtoD between said first state of charging and said second state of driving and vice versa DtoC, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0124] A first determination block 200 may be configured to receive the current temperature T of the high-voltage battery of the vehicle and to calculate, as a function of said temperature T, the target value of the gain GTgt- For example, said first determination block 200 may be configured to implement the formula described in the foregoing in order to obtain said target value of the gain GTgt, that is:

[0125] A second determination block 202 may be configured to receive:

[0126] - said target value of the gain GTgt determined by the first determination block 200;

[0127] - the speed v of the vehicle;

[0128] - the power P used during the movement;

[0129] - a flag (or variable) CtoD or DtoC, configured to indicate if said vehicle is executing a transition CtoD between the first state of charging and the second state of driving, or vice versa DtoC; and

[0130] - the current state of charge SOC of the high- voltage battery of the vehicle.

[0131] Therefore, said second determination block 202 may be configured to determine a current value of the gain G as a function of one or more variables among those received.

[0132] If the vehicle is in the second state of driving, the current value of the gain is provided by a first calculation block 204 comprised in said second determination block 202.

[0133] Said first calculation block 204 may be configured to receive said speed v of the vehicle, said power P used during the movement, and the initial condition Go of said state of the gain Gs, that is, an initial condition related to the dynamic equation described in the foregoing.

[0134] Said first calculation block 204 may be configured to implement the function corresponding to the first order low-pass filter described in the foregoing, and to provide as output said current value of the gain G.

[0135] Similarly, if the vehicle is in the first charging condition, the current value of the gain G is provided by a second calculation block 206 comprised in said second determination block 202.

[0136] Said second calculation block 206 may be configured to receive said target value of the gain GTgt and to implement any function which enables obtaining a trend of the gain G as described in embodiments of the present disclosure, that is, any function which enables obtaining any trend of the gain G which starts at a value equal to the initial gain Ginit and ends, in correspondence of the target state of charge SOCTgt, at the target value of the gain GTgt.

[0137] For example, said second calculation block 206 may be configured to implement a function which enables obtaining the linear trend of the gain G described in the foregoing.

[0138] For example, said second calculation block 206 may be configured to implement a function which enables obtaining the further trend of the gain G described in the foregoing.

[0139] In correspondence of a transition of the state of the vehicle from the second state of driving to the first state of charging, for example, indicated by the flag DtoC (which, for example, acquires a fist logic value equal to TRUE), the first calculation block 204 may be configured to sample, for example, by saving in a given memory location:

[0140] - the value of the state of charge SOC of the high- voltage battery related to the start of the charging operation, that is, the value of the initial state of charge SOCinit; and

[0141] - the value of the gain G related to the beginning of the charging operation, that is, the value of the initial gain Ginitf that is Ginit= G(kDtoC)rwherein kDtoCindicates the instant when the state of the gain G is updated in correspondence of the considered transition.

[0142] For example, said first calculation block 204 may be configured to send said initial state of charge value SOCinit and said initial gain value Ginit to the second calculation block 206, for example, via a first signal Ci.

[0143] Alternatively, said second calculation block 206 may be configured to read said initial state of charge value SOCinitand said initial gain value Ginit from the given memory location where said first calculation block 204 saved them.

[0144] Therefore, a method according to the present disclosure may comprise, in correspondence of a start of a charging operation of the at least one battery, for example said high-voltage battery of the vehicle: determining, for example via the first calculation block 204, an initial value Ginit of the coefficient, that is, the initial value Ginit; and

[0145] - determining, for example again via the first calculation block 204, an initial state of charge SOCinit of said at least one battery.

[0146] In correspondence of a transition of the state of the vehicle from the first state of charging to the second state of driving, for example, indicated by the flag CtoD (which, for example, acquires a first logic value equal to TRUE), the second calculation block 206 may be configured to sample, for example, by saving it in a given memory location, the latest value of the gain G calculated by said second calculation block 206 before the transition.

[0147] For example, said second calculation block 206 may be configured to send said latest value of the gain G to the first calculation block 204, for example via a second signal C2.

[0148] Alternatively, said first calculation block 204 may be configured to read said latest value of the gain G from the given memory location where said second calculation block 206 has saved them.

[0149] Therefore, said first calculation block 204 may be configured to initialize the value of the state Gsto said latest value of the gain G calculated by the second calculation block 206 before the transition, that is, Gsttctoo')= G(.SOCctoD;TctoD), wherein tctoDis the time instant when the transition takes place, SOCctoDis the state of charge value of the high-voltage battery at said time instant when the transition takes place, and TctoDis the temperature of said high-voltage battery at the time instant when the transition takes place.

[0150] It is noted that, in correspondence of the end of the charging operation after reaching the target state of charge SOCTgt, it is possible to obtain Gs(tctoD)= Grgt(TctoD)•

[0151] It is noted that such initialization of the state Gsto said latest value of the gain G calculated by the second calculation block 206 before the transition enables obtaining a continuity of the range R which is displayed, for example, on the dashboard.

[0152] Indeed, whereas the transition from the second state of driving to the first state of charging enables obtaining a continuity both in the trend of the gain G and in the trend of the range R of the vehicle (since any trend of the gain G being considered starts at a value equal to the initial gain Ginit)r the transition from the first state of charging to the second state of driving does not enable to obtain said continuity without properly initializing the state Gs, or, more generally, without properly initializing the considered dynamic equation of the gain G, that is, G = . Indeed, if the initialization of the considered dynamic equation of the gain G is not operated correctly, there will be a discontinuity both in the trend of the gain G and in the trend of the range R of the vehicle.

[0153] Said discontinuity, if present, will lead to a variation of the range R of the vehicle, for example displayed on the dashboard, at the end of the charging operation.

[0154] Therefore, a method according to the present description may comprise, in correspondence of an end of a charging operation of the at least one battery, for example the high-voltage battery of the vehicle: determining a value of the trend of said coefficient, that is, a value of the trend of the gain G, related to the current state of charge SOC of the at least one battery, that is in correspondence of the end of said charging operation; and initializing said further trend of the coefficient, that is, said dynamic equation, to an initial value equal to said value of the trend of such coefficient determined in correspondence of said end of the charging operation.

[0155] Figure 3 shows trends 30 of the range R of the vehicle, for example, expressed in kilometres (km), in time t according to embodiments of the present disclosure, considering a scenario wherein the state of the vehicle passes, through a first transition DtoC, from the second state of driving to the first state of charging and, through a second transition CtoD, again to the second state of driving.

[0156] Said Figure 3 shows that in the transition DtoC of the state of the vehicle from the second state of driving to the first state of charging there is a continuity in the trend of the range R of the vehicle, and that in the transition CtoD from the first state of charging to the second state of driving, on the contrary, there may be a discontinuity.

[0157] For example, in the diagram on the right of Figure 3 there is a discontinuity since the initialization of the dynamic equation of the gain G has not been performed correctly. On the contrary, in the diagram on the left of Figure 3 the discontinuity is not present since the initialization of the dynamic equation of the gain G has been performed correctly, for example as described with reference to Figure 2.

[0158] It is noted that it may be possible to implement the solution described by considering, as the predefined value of the range RTgt, the maximum range RMaxof the vehicle which may be achieved when the high-voltage battery of said vehicle is completely charged, that is, ^Tgt~ ^Max•

[0159] In this case, the target state of charge SOCTgtcorresponds to 100%, that is, to a completely charged battery, that is, SOCTgt= 100% .

[0160] Such an implementation may be advantageous with respect to the selection of:

[0161] - any other predefined value of the range RTgt, that is, a value satisfying the following inequality Rrgt< ^Maxr since it is lower than the maximum range RMaxof the vehicle; and

[0162] - any other value of the target state of charge SOCTgt, that is, of a value which satisfies the following inequality SOCTgt< 100% , since it is lower than the maximum value of the state of charge of the battery, equal to 100%.

[0163] In fact, in this way, it is possible to avoid situations wherein, while driving, the range R displayed, for example, on the dashboard of the vehicle, is greater than the range associated to a complete charging of the high-voltage battery, that is, than the predefined value of the selected range Rigt, thereby- preventing the range from increasing instead of decreasing during a drive following a charging operation.

[0164] Therefore, in methods according to the present disclosure, the target state of charge SOCTgt may be the state of charge obtained in response to a complete charging of the at least one battery, preferably having a value equal to 100%, and the target range RTgt may be the maximum range RMaxwhich can be achieved for said vehicle.

[0165] It is noted that it possible to consider a plurality of predefined values of the range RTgt;i corresponding to respective target states of charge SOCTgt;i.

[0166] For example, a predefined value of the range RTgt;N in said plurality of predefined values of the range RTgt;imay correspond to the maximum range RMaxof the vehicle which can be achieved when the high-voltage battery of said vehicle is completely charged.

[0167] Said predefined value of the range RTgt;N may be associated to a respective desired state of charge SOCTgt;N corresponding to 100%.

[0168] In this way, it is possible to obtain the advantages described in the foregoing, in other words, the range is prevented from increasing instead of decreasing during a drive following a charging operation, while being able to fix also further points in the trend of the range R, that is, points related to pairs comprising a predefined value of the range among the plurality of predefined values of the range RTgt;i and the respective target state of charge associated therewith.

[0169] In such a case, a plurality of target values of the gain GTgT;iare calculated, each of which being calculated via the equation: wherein Rrgt.-i and SOCTgt.irwith i being comprised between 1 and N (N being the number of elements comprised in said plurality), are the values comprised in an i-th pair comprising a predefined value of the i-th range out of the plurality of predefined values of the range, and a respective i-th target state of charge associated therewith.

[0170] For example, said plurality of predefined values of the range Rrgt;!maY comprise two values:

[0171] - a first predefined value of the range Rigt;i having a value lower than the maximum range RMaxand corresponding to a first state of charge SOCTgt;i having a value lower than 100%; and

[0172] - a second predefined value of the range RTgt;2 having a value equal to the maximum range RMaxand corresponding to a second state of charge SOCTgt;2 having a value equal to 100%.

[0173] In such a scenario, the plurality of target values of the gain GTgt;icomprise a first target value of the gain GTgt;i, obtained as a function of the first predefined value of the range RTgt;i and of the corresponding first state of charge SOCTgt;i, and a second target value of the gain GTgt;2 obtained as a function of the second predefined value of the range Rigt;2 and of the corresponding second state of charge SOCTgt;2-

[0174] Therefore, a method according to the present description may comprise:

[0175] - determining a further target state of charge, for example the first state of charge SOCigt;i, lower than said target state of charge, for example, corresponding to the second state of charge SOCTgt;2;

[0176] - determining a further target range, for example the first predefined range value Rigt;i, associated to said further target state of charge SOCigt;i, said further target range Rigt;i being a maximum range achievable for states of charge SOC of the at least one battery lower than or equal to said further target state of charge SOCTgt;i, that is, being the maximum range which can be achieved when the state of charge of the high-voltage battery is lower than or equal to the first state of charge SOCTgt;i;

[0177] - determining a further energy EHVB storable in said at least one battery, for example the high-voltage battery of the vehicle, when the current state of charge SOC of the at least one battery reaches said further target state of charge SOCTgt;i, said further energy EHVB being determined as a function of said further target state of charge SOCTgt;i and of a current temperature T of said at least one battery; and determining, for example, via the first determination block 200, a further target value GTgt;i of said coefficient, that is the first target value of the gain GTgt;i, via a division operation between said further target range RTgt;i and the further energy EHVB-

[0178] Said operation of determining, for example, via the second calculation block 206, a trend of said coefficient, that is, the trend of the gain G, as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery, ending, in correspondence of said target state of charge SOCTgt;2r in said target value GTgt;2, that is, in correspondence of the second target value of the gain GTgt;2r comprises assigning a value equal to said further target value GTgt;ito the trend of said coefficient in correspondence of said further target state of charge value SOCTgt;i, that is, fixing a further point on the trend of the gain G in correspondence of the first state of charge SOCTgt;iat a value equal to the first target value of the gain GTgt;i.

[0179] If there is a plurality of predefined values of the range RTgt;i, a- possible implementation of the trend of the gain G may be a piecewise linear trend, obtained via a plurality of linear interpolations operated on the basis of the state of charge SOC of the high-voltage battery of the vehicle.

[0180] For example, in the case of two predefined values of the range RTgt;i and RTgt;2 described in the foregoing, said trend of the gain G may be obtained as follows:

[0181] - if the initial state of charge value SOCinitis lower than the first state of charge SOCTgt;i, that is, if SOCinit< SOCTgt.lrthen: if the current state of charge SOC of the high- voltage battery is lower than the first state of charge SOCTgt;i, that is, if SOC < SOCTgt.lrthen it is possible to calculate the gain via the following equation: otherwise, it is possible to calculate said gain via the following equation:

[0182] - if the value of the initial state of charge SOCinit is higher than the first state of charge SOCTgt;i, that is, if SOCinit> SOCTgt.lrthen it is possible to use the equation described in the foregoing for the case with a single predefined value of the range, that is:

[0183] Similarly, it is possible to adapt said equations to the case wherein the plurality of predefined values of the range RTgt;i comprises more than two values.

[0184] Similarly, the further implementation of the trend of the gain G may be obtained by considering the cases described for the piecewise linear trend, adding thereto a further case related to the further state of charge value SOCBP comprised, in this case, between said initial state of charge SOCinit and said first state of charge SOCTgt;l.

[0185] Therefore, said further state of charge value SOCBPseparates the interval comprised between the initial state of charge SOCinit and the first state of charge SOCTgt;i into two sub-intervals; therefore, if the value of the initial state of charge SOCinit is lower than said further state of charge value SOCBP, that is, if SOCinit< SOCBP, then:

[0186] - if the current state of charge SOC of the high- voltage battery is lower than said further state of charge value SOCBP, that is, if SOC<SOCBP, then it is possible to calculate the gain via the following equation:

[0187] G(SOC,-T)= Ginit

[0188] - otherwise, if the current state of charge SOC of the high-voltage battery is higher than said further state of charge value SOCBPand lower than the first state of charge SOCTgt;i, that is, if SOCBP< SOC < SOCTgt;1, it is possible to calculate said gain via the following equation:

[0189] Similarly, it is possible to adapt said equations to the case wherein the plurality of predefined values of the range RTgt;i comprise more than two values.

[0190] Therefore, in methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the trend of the coefficient, that is, the trend of the gain G, may be piecewise linear and the operation of determining, for example, via the second calculation block 206, said trend of the coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery, for example the high-voltage battery of the vehicle, may be performed by: determining a first linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge lower than said further target state of charge, for example, the first state of charge SOCTgt;i, via a linear interpolation passing through a first pair of values comprising said initial state of charge SOCinitand said initial value, that is, the initial gain Ginit, and a second pair of values comprising said further target state of charge SOCTgt;i and said further target value, for example, the first target value of the gain GTgt;i; and determining a second linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge higher than said further target state of charge SOCTgt;ivia a linear interpolation passing through said second pair of values and a third pair of values comprising said target state of charge, for example, the second state of charge SOCTgt;2, and said target value, for example, the second target value of the gain GTgt;2.

[0191] Alternatively, in methods according to embodiments of the present description, the trend of the coefficient, that is, the trend of the gain G, may be piecewise linear and the operation of determining, for example, via the second calculation block 206, said trend of the coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery, for example the high-voltage battery of the vehicle, may be performed by: selecting a separation state of charge, for example, the further state of charge value SOCBp described in the foregoing, lower than said further target state of charge, for example, the first state of charge SOCTgt;i;

[0192] - determining, if the initial state of charge SOCinit is lower that the separation state of charge SOCBP, a first linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge lower than said separation state of charge SOCBPvia a constant function of value equal to said initial value Ginit, that is, the initial gain Ginit; determining a second linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge higher than said separation state of charge SOCBPand lower than said further target state of charge SOCTgt;i, via a linear interpolation passing through a fourth pair of values comprising said separation state of charge SOCBPand said initial value Ginit and said second pair of values comprising said further target state of charge SOCTgt;i and said further target value, for example, the first target value of the gain GTgt,-i; and determining a third linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge higher than said further target state of charge SOCTgt;i via a linear interpolation passing through said second pair of values and said third pair of values comprising said target state of charge, for example, the second state of charge SOCTgt;2, and said target value, for example, the second target value of the gain GTgt;2.

[0193] A consideration similar to what has been described in the foregoing about the advantage of having the predefined range value RTgtequal to the maximum range R-Max of the vehicle (in order to prevent the range from increasing, instead of decreasing, during a drive following a charging operation), may be taken into account also in the case of a plurality of predefined values of the range RTgt;i-

[0194] Indeed, in order to avoid said decrease or increase of the range displayed, for example, via the dashboard of the vehicle, each predefined range value comprised in the plurality of predefined values of the range RTgt;iis to preferably be equal to the maximum range of the vehicle achievable when the high-voltage battery of said vehicle has a state of charge SOC lower than or equal to the respective target state of charge SOCTgt;i associated to said predefined range value. Moreover, for each state of charge SOC of the high- voltage battery having a value higher than the lower target state of charge SOCTgt;i, it is preferable to define a maximum range of the vehicle achievable when the high- voltage battery has a state of charge lower than or equal to said state of charge SOC, thereby obtaining a profile of maximum range Rupiim as a function of the state of charge SOC of the high-voltage battery used to obtain an increasing trend of said range R.

[0195] Therefore, in methods according to the present disclosure, the operation of determining, for example, via the second calculation block 206, a trend of the coefficient, that is, a trend of the gain G, as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery comprises determining increasing values of said coefficient, that is, of the gain G, for states of charge higher than said further target state of charge SOCTgt;i, that is, for states of charge higher than the lower target state of charge SOCTgt;i, for example, the first state of charge SOCTgt;i.

[0196] It is noted that said increasing values of the gain G enable obtaining the rising trend of the range R described in the foregoing.

[0197] Said maximum range profile Rupiimis to be applied to the trend of the range R displayed both during the first state of charging and during the second state of driving, in such a way as to obtain a trend of the range R which increases for increasing values of the state of charge SOC.

[0198] In this way, it is also possible to prevent the displayed range R from decreasing in response to reaching one of the target states of charge SOCTgt;i associated to respective predefined values of the range comprised in said plurality of predefined range values RTgt;i.

[0199] For example, in the case of two predefined values of the range RTgt;i and RTgt;2 described in the foregoing, the first predefined range value Rjgt;i may be the maximum range of the vehicle achievable when the high-voltage battery has a state of charge SOC lower than or equal to the first state of charge SOCTgt;i-

[0200] Moreover, the profile of the maximum range RUpiim of the vehicle as a function of the state of charge SOC of the high-voltage battery may be defined as:

[0201] - equal to said first predefined value of the range R?gt;i for values of the state of charge SOC of the high- voltage battery comprised between zero and said first state of charge SOCTgt;i; and via monotonically increasing values from the first predefined range value RTgt;ito the second predefined range value RTgt;2 corresponding to the maximum range RMaxof the vehicle for states of charge SOC of the vehicle which pass from said first state of charge SOCTgt;ito the second state of charge SOCTgt;2, corresponding to a state of charge of 100%.

[0202] Therefore, the solution described in detail in the present document enables obtaining a method for estimating a range of a vehicle having:

[0203] - at least one electric traction motor, and

[0204] - at least one battery having a current state of charge, configured to be charged up to a target state of charge higher than said current state of charge; wherein said method comprises:

[0205] - determining a target range associated with said target state of charge; for example, wherein said target range may be a maximum range achievable when said current state of charge of the at least one battery reaches said target state of charge;

[0206] - determining an energy storable in said at least one battery when the current state of charge of the at least one battery reaches said target state of charge, said energy being determined as a function of said target state of charge and a current temperature of said at least one battery;

[0207] - determining a target value of a coefficient via a division operation between said target range and said energy; and

[0208] - determining a trend of said coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery, ending, in correspondence of said target state of charge, in said target value.

[0209] Therefore, the trend of said coefficient is used during charging operations of said at least one battery to estimate said range of the vehicle by multiplying a value of the trend of said coefficient related to the current state of charge of the at least one battery by an energy currently stored in said at least one battery.

[0210] Therefore, it will be understood that the solution described in the present detailed description may favour displaying, for example on the dashboard of the vehicle, a fixed and predefined value, for example a value related to a maximum reachable value, of range when a high- voltage battery comprised in said vehicle has a determined charge level, for example in correspondence of a complete charge of said battery, that is, when reaching a target state of charge, for example, equal to 100%.

[0211] It is noted that embodiments of the present disclosure also refer to vehicles having an electric traction motor, comprising:

[0212] - at least one battery having a current state of charge SOC, configured to be charged up to a target state of charge, for example, the target state of charge SOCTgtr higher than said current state of charge SOC; and at least one Electronic Control Unit (ECU) configured to estimate a range R of said vehicle by performing the steps of the method according to the present disclosure.

[0213] Without prejudice to the basic principles, the details and the embodiments may vary, even appreciably, from what has been described by way of example only, without departing from the extent of protection.

[0214] The extent of protection is defined by the annexed claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Method for estimating a range (R) of a vehicle having: at least one electric traction motor, and at least one battery having a current state of charge (SOC), configured to be recharged up to a target state of charge (SOCTgt) higher than said current state of charge (SOC); wherein said method comprises: determining a target range (RTgt) associated with said target state of charge (SOCTgt), preferably wherein said target range (RTgt) is a maximum range achievable when said current state of charge (SOC) of the at least one battery reaches said target state of charge (SOCTgt); determining an energy (EHVB) storable in said at least one battery when the current state of charge (SOC) of the at least one battery reaches said target state of charge (SOCTgt)t said energy (EHVB) being determined as a function of said target state of charge (SOCTgt) and a current temperature (T) of said at least one battery; determining (200) a target value (GTgt) of a coefficient via a division operation between said target range (RTgt) and said energy (EHVB); and determining (206) a trend of said coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery, ending, in correspondence of said target state of charge (SOCTgt), in said target value (GTgt), said trend of said coefficient being used during charging operations of said at least one battery to estimate said range (R) of the vehicle by multiplying a value of the trend of said coefficient related to the current state of charge (SOC) of said at least one battery by an energy currently stored in said at least one battery.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining (204) a further trend of said coefficient as a function of a speed of said vehicle (v) and a power (P) used during a movement of said vehicle, said further trend of said coefficient being used during operations different from charging operations to estimate said range (R) of the vehicle by multiplying a value of the further trend of said coefficient related to the current state of charge (SOC) of the at least one battery by an energy currently stored in said at least one battery.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein in correspondence of an end of a charging operation of said at least one battery, said method comprises: determining a value of the trend of said coefficient related to the current state of charge (SOC) of the at least one battery; and initializing said further trend of the coefficient to an initial value equal to said determined value of the trend of said coefficient.

4. The method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said target state of charge (SOCTgt) is the state of charge obtained in response to a full charge of said at least one battery, preferably having a value equal to 100%, and wherein said target range (RTgt) is the maximum achievable range (RMax)•5. The method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein, in correspondence of a start of a charging operation of said at least one battery, said method comprises: determining (204) an initial value (Ginit) of said coefficient; anddetermining (204) an initial state of charge (SOCinit) of said at least one battery.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said initial value (Ginit) of said coefficient is obtained as a function of kilometres travelled by said vehicle per consumption unit of the energy stored in the at least one battery during a time window prior to said charging operation.

7. The method according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein: the trend of said coefficient is linear and wherein the operation of determining (206) said trend of the coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery is performed via a linear interpolation passing through a first pair of values comprising said initial state of charge (SOCinit) and said initial value (Ginit) and a second pair of values comprising said target state of charge (SOCTgt) and said target value (GTgt); or the trend of said coefficient is piecewise linear and wherein the operation of determining (206) said trend of the coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery comprises: selecting a separation state of charge (SOCBP) lower than said target state of charge (SOCTgt); determining, if said initial state of charge (SOCinit) is lower than said separation state of charge (SOCBp), a first linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge lower than said separation state of charge (SOCBP) via a constant function of value equal to said initial value (Ginit); and determining a second linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge higher than said separation state of charge (SOCBp) via a linearinterpolation passing through a third pair of values comprising said separation state of charge (SOCBp) and said initial value (Gin±t) and said second pair of values comprising said target state of charge (SOCTgt) and said target value (GTgt)•8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said method comprises: determining a further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i) lower than said target state of charge (SOCTgt;2)r determining a further target range (R.Tgt;i) associated with said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i)r said further target range (Rigt;i) being a maximum range achievable for states of charge of the at least one battery lower than or equal to said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i); determining a further energy (EHVB) storable in said at least one battery when the current state of charge (SOC) of the at least one battery reaches said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i)r said further energy (EHVB) being determined as a function of said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i) and a current temperature (T) of said at least one battery; and determining (200) a further target value (GTgt;i) of the coefficient via a division operation between said further target range (Rigt / i) and said further energy (EHVB); wherein the operation of determining (206) a trend of said coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery, ending, in correspondence of said target state of charge (SOCTgt;2), in said target value (GTgt;2)r comprises assigning a value equal to said further target value (GTgt;i) to the trend of saidcoefficient in correspondence of said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i)! preferably wherein said operation of determining (206) a trend of said coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery comprises determining increasing values of said coefficient for states of charge higher than said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i)•9. The method according to claim 8 in combination with claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the trend of said coefficient is piecewise linear and wherein the operation of determining (206) said trend of the coefficient as a function of states of charge of said at least one battery is performed by: determining a first linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge lower than said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i) via a linear interpolation passing through a first pair of values comprising said initial state of charge (SOChnit) and said initial value (Ginit) and a second pair of values comprising said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i) and said further target value (GTgt;i); and determining a second linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge higher than said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i) via a linear interpolation passing through said second pair of values and a third pair of values comprising said target state of charge (SOCTgt;2) and said target value (GTgt;2); or selecting a separation state of charge (SOCBp) lower than said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i); determining, if said initial state of charge (SOCinit) is lower than said separation state of charge (SOCBP), a first linear portion of said piecewise lineartrend for states of charge lower than said separation state of charge (SOCBP) via a constant function of value equal to said initial value (Ginit)! determining a second linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge higher than said separation state of charge (SOCBP) and lower than said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i) via a linear interpolation passing through a fourth pair of values comprising said separation state of charge (SOCBP) and said initial value (Ginit) and said second pair of values comprising said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i) and said further target value (GTgt;i); and determining a third linear portion of said piecewise linear trend for states of charge higher than said further target state of charge (SOCTgt;i) via a linear interpolation passing through said second pair of values and said third pair of values comprising said target state of charge (SOCTgt;2) and said target value (GTgt;2)•10. Vehicle having an electric traction motor, said vehicle comprising: at least one battery having a current state of charge (SOC), configured to be recharged up to a target state of charge (SOCTgt) higher than said current state of charge (SOC); and at least one electronic control unit configured to estimate a range (R) of said vehicle by performing the steps of the method according to any one of the previous claims.

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