Electric vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electric vehicle using an electric motor as a driving power device. The electric vehicle comprises: a control device for controlling the electric vehicle; and a shifter. The control device is configured to switch a plurality of control modes in accordance with an operation of a driver of the electric vehicle. The plurality of control modes include: an automatic mode in which traveling as a normal electric vehicle is performed; and a manual mode in which traveling simulating a manual transmission vehicle is performed by receiving a virtual shift transmission operation by the shifter. The automatic mode includes: a first automatic mode in which regenerative braking force of an electric motor is switched in accordance with an operation of the shifter; and a second automatic mode in which the regenerative braking force is fixed.

Description

Electric vehicle 【0001】 This disclosure relates to a technique for controlling an electric vehicle having an electric motor as a driving source. 【0002】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-073134 discloses an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a driving device for traveling. The electric vehicle includes a pseudo paddle shifter having a structure similar to a paddle shifter provided in a clutchless MT (manual transmission) vehicle. A driver can operate the pseudo paddle shifter to enjoy a driving feeling similar to that of a clutchless MT vehicle having a sequential shifter. 【0003】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-073134 【0004】 An electric vehicle equipped with a manual mode capable of performing a driving operation similar to that of an MT vehicle and an automatic mode for traveling as a normal electric vehicle is known. In such an electric vehicle, the mode can be switched between the manual mode and the automatic mode by the operation of the driver. Also, in an electric vehicle, a function of changing the deceleration by changing the strength of the regenerative braking force of the electric motor is known. However, sufficient consideration has not been given so far to combining an electric vehicle equipped with a manual mode and an automatic mode with a function of selecting the strength of the regenerative braking force. 【0005】 This disclosure relates to an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a driving device for traveling. The electric vehicle includes a control device that controls the electric vehicle and a shifter. The control device is configured to switch between a plurality of control modes according to the operation of the driver of the electric vehicle. The plurality of control modes include an automatic mode for traveling as a normal electric vehicle and a manual mode for receiving a virtual shifting operation by the shifter and simulating traveling of a manual transmission vehicle. The automatic mode includes a first automatic mode in which the regenerative braking force of the electric motor is switched according to the operation of the shifter and a second automatic mode in which the regenerative braking force is fixed. 【0006】According to one aspect of this disclosure, the control device may be configured to set the control mode to a second automatic mode when switching the control mode from manual mode to automatic mode. 【0007】 The electric vehicle of this disclosure features a manual mode and an automatic mode. The automatic mode includes a first automatic mode in which the regenerative braking force of the electric motor can be switched, and a second automatic mode in which the regenerative braking force is fixed. By switching the control mode, the driver can experience a driving feel similar to that of a manual transmission vehicle, or they can switch the deceleration while driving the electric vehicle as a normal electric vehicle. Furthermore, the shifter used to switch the regenerative braking force in the automatic mode is also used as an operating member for performing virtual gear changes in the manual mode. Therefore, the operating member can be effectively utilized in both the manual and automatic modes. 【0008】 This diagram shows the configuration of the control system of the electric vehicle according to this embodiment. This is a block diagram showing the functions of the BEV-ECU. This diagram shows the operation for switching between the first automatic mode and the second automatic mode. This is a graph showing the strength of regenerative braking force in multiple drive modes. 【0009】 Embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. 【0010】1. Configuration Diagram 1 of the control system of an electric vehicle is a diagram showing the configuration of the control system of an electric vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric vehicle 100 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) that runs on electric energy stored in a battery. The control system of the electric vehicle 100 includes, as controlled objects, an electric motor 10 which is a power device for driving, a meter 11 which provides visual information to the driver, and a buzzer 12 and speaker 13 which provide auditory information to the driver. Furthermore, as a control device that controls these controlled objects, the electric vehicle 100 is equipped with a plurality of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) and an input device which inputs instructions from the driver to these ECUs. The ECUs include BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle)-ECU 30, SBW (Shift By Wire)-ECU 31, MM (Multi Media)-ECU 32, MG (Motor Generator)-ECU 33, meter-ECU 34, and ASC (Active Sound Control)-ECU 35. The input interface includes a shift range selector 20, a control mode switching switch 21, an accelerator pedal 22, a paddle shifter 23, and a multimedia system 24. 【0011】 The shift range selector 20 is an input interface for the driver to select a shift range. Selectable shift ranges include, for example, parking range, reverse range, neutral range, and drive range. When the driver operates the shift range selector 20, a signal s1 corresponding to the position of the operating member of the shift range selector 20 is output from the shift range selector 20 to the SBW-ECU 31. The SBW-ECU 31 determines the shift range based on the input signal s1 and outputs a signal s2 containing information about the selected shift range to the BEV-ECU 30. 【0012】The control mode selector switch 21 is an input interface for switching the control mode of the electric vehicle 100 between automatic mode and manual mode. Automatic mode is a mode in which the electric motor 10 is controlled with normal output characteristics in response to output requests from the driver. Manual mode is a mode for operating the electric vehicle 100 like an engine vehicle (manual transmission vehicle / MT vehicle) that can manually shift gears. In manual mode, the output characteristics of the electric motor 10 can be switched in multiple stages by operating the paddle shifter 23, which will be described later. The control mode selector switch 21 may be an alternate type switch or a momentary type switch. When the driver operates the control mode selector switch 21, a signal s3 corresponding to the control mode specified by that operation is output from the control mode selector switch 21 to the BEV-ECU 30. 【0013】 The accelerator pedal 22 is an input interface that acquires the amount of depression the driver makes when they press it down as the driver's acceleration request. When the driver presses down the accelerator pedal 22, a signal s4 corresponding to the amount of depression is output from the accelerator pedal stroke sensor to the BEV-ECU 30. 【0014】The paddle shifter 23 is an input interface consisting of a pair of left and right paddles mounted on the steering wheel or steering column. When the driver pulls a paddle towards them, a signal s5 corresponding to the pulled paddle is output from the paddle shifter 23 to the BEV-ECU 30. When manual mode is selected, the paddle shifter 23 becomes an input interface for switching between multiple shift positions. However, the electric vehicle 100 does not have a physical transmission. The shift position referred to here is not the shift position of an actual transmission, but one of the parameters of the physical model used to calculate engine torque, as described later. In manual mode, the signal s5 output when the right paddle is pulled is a signal requesting an upshift, and the signal s5 output when the left paddle is pulled is a signal requesting a downshift. On the other hand, when automatic mode is selected, the paddle shifter 23 becomes an input interface for switching between multiple regenerative braking strengths. In automatic mode, when the right paddle is pulled, signal s5 is output to request a reduction in regenerative braking, and when the left paddle is pulled, signal s5 is output to request an increase in regenerative braking. 【0015】The multimedia system 24 is an input interface equipped with a touchscreen that displays various information such as navigation and audio settings and accepts touch operations from the driver. The driver can make various settings for the electric vehicle 100 by operating the touchscreen. When the driver operates the touchscreen, a signal s6 corresponding to the operation is output from the multimedia system 24 to the MM-ECU 32. The MM-ECU 32 determines the setting requested by the driver based on the input signal s6. If the setting requested by the driver is a driving mode, the MM-ECU 32 outputs a signal s7 containing information about the driving mode selected by the driver to the BEV-ECU 30. The driving mode can be set in manual mode, and the driver can select a driving mode that suits their preference from among multiple driving modes. If the setting requested by the driver is to turn the speaker 13 on / off or the volume, the MM-ECU 32 outputs a signal s8 containing information about turning the speaker 13 on / off or the volume to the ASC-ECU 35. 【0016】 The BEV-ECU 30 calculates the torque (hereinafter referred to as motor torque) to be output by the electric motor 10 based on the input signals s2, s3, s4, s5, and s7. However, in addition to these signals, other information, including at least the vehicle speed, is also used in the calculation of motor torque. The vehicle speed is measured using speed sensors provided on each wheel. The BEV-ECU 30 calculates the motor torque in a manner corresponding to the control mode specified by signal s3. In automatic mode, the BEV-ECU 30 calculates the motor torque mainly based on signal s4 and the vehicle speed. In manual mode, the BEV-ECU 30 calculates the motor torque mainly based on signals s4, s5, s7, and the vehicle speed. Details of the motor torque calculation method in each control mode will be described later. The BEV-ECU 30 outputs a signal s9 containing the motor torque information obtained in the calculation to the MG-ECU 33. The MG-ECU 33 generates a signal s12 for PWM control of the electric motor 10 based on signal s9, and controls the electric motor 10 with signal s12. 【0017】The BEV-ECU 30 outputs a signal s10 to the meter-ECU 34 that includes information to be displayed on the meter 11 and a request to sound the buzzer. The information to be displayed on the meter 11 includes, for example, the selected control mode, the shift position if manual mode is selected, and the virtual engine speed. The virtual engine speed is one of the parameters of the physical model used to calculate motor torque in manual mode. The meter-ECU 34 generates a signal s13 to display this information and controls the meter 11 with the signal s13. A request to sound the buzzer is output, for example, to inform the driver of the timing for downshifting or upshifting. If the signal s10 includes a request to sound the buzzer, the meter-ECU 34 generates a signal s14 and sounds the buzzer 12 with the signal s14. 【0018】 The BEV-ECU 30 outputs a signal s11 to the ASC-ECU 35 that contains information used to generate a simulated engine sound. The simulated engine sound is a sound that simulates the exhaust sound of an engine vehicle emitted from the speaker 13 when manual mode is selected. The information used to generate the simulated engine sound includes, for example, virtual engine rotational speed, virtual engine torque, and virtual shift position. Virtual engine torque is one of the parameters of the physical model used to calculate motor torque in manual mode. Based on this information, the ASC-ECU 35 generates a signal s15 that generates a simulated engine sound and controls the speaker 13 with the signal s15. 【0019】 2. Functions of the BEV-ECU Next, the functions of the BEV-ECU 30 will be described. The BEV-ECU 30 is equipped with at least a processor (processing circuit) and memory. The memory includes RAM for temporarily recording data and ROM for storing programs that can be executed by the processor and various data related to the programs. The program consists of multiple instructions. The processor reads the program and data from memory and executes them, generating a signal s9 to be output to the MG-ECU 33, a signal s10 to be output to the meter-ECU 34, and a signal s11 to be output to the ASC-ECU 35. 【0020】Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of the BEV-ECU 30. The BEV-ECU 30 has the functions of a control mode switching unit 310, an automatic mode parameter calculation unit 320, and a manual mode parameter calculation unit 330. These functions are realized by the execution of one or more programs stored in the memory of the BEV-ECU 30 by the processor. 【0021】 The control mode switching unit 310 switches the mode of output control of the electric motor 10 in response to operation input from the driver. The control modes that can be switched by the control mode switching unit 310 are the automatic mode and manual mode described above. The control mode switching unit 310 switches the control mode according to the signal s3 input from the control mode switching switch 21. 【0022】 When the control mode is switched to automatic mode by the control mode switching unit 310, the BEV-ECU 30 functions as an automatic mode parameter calculation unit 320. The automatic mode parameter calculation unit 320 performs output control according to the shift range selected by the shift range selector 20. For example, when the selected shift range is the D range, the automatic mode parameter calculation unit 320 obtains the accelerator opening from the signal s4 of the accelerator pedal 22 and the vehicle speed from the signal of a speed sensor (not shown). The automatic mode parameter calculation unit 320 has a motor torque map that uses the accelerator opening and vehicle speed as parameters. The automatic mode parameter calculation unit 320 calculates the motor torque to be generated by the electric motor 10 by inputting the accelerator opening and vehicle speed into the motor torque map, and outputs a signal s9 containing the calculated motor torque information to the MG-ECU 33. 【0023】In the motor torque map described above, the motor torque is specified to be a negative value when the accelerator opening is zero. In other words, when the accelerator opening is zero, the regenerative braking force of the electric motor 10 is activated, decelerating the electric vehicle 100. Here, the automatic mode further includes several control modes. The control modes included in the automatic mode are a first automatic mode in which the strength of the regenerative braking force of the electric motor 10 can be switched, and a second automatic mode in which the strength of the regenerative braking force is fixed. Switching between the first automatic mode and the second automatic mode is performed based on the driver's operation of the paddle shifter 23. The BEV-ECU 30 switches between the first automatic mode and the second automatic mode based on the signal s5 input from the paddle shifter 23. The operation for switching between the first automatic mode and the second automatic mode will be described later. 【0024】 While the control mode is set to the first automatic mode, the driver can, for example, operate the HMI 20 to increase or decrease the strength of the regenerative braking force. In the first automatic mode, the strength of the regenerative braking force may be switched by multiplying the motor torque calculated by the motor torque map by a predetermined value, or multiple motor torque maps with different regenerative braking forces may be prepared in advance, and the strength of the regenerative braking force may be switched by switching between motor torque maps. While the control mode is set to the second automatic mode, the driver cannot arbitrarily switch the strength of the regenerative braking force. 【0025】 When the control mode is switched to manual mode by the control mode switching unit 310, the BEV-ECU 30 functions as a manual mode parameter calculation unit 330. The manual mode parameter calculation unit 330 performs the process of calculating the drive wheel torque to be generated by the drive wheels and the process of calculating the motor torque based on the drive wheel torque. 【0026】The manual mode parameter calculation unit 330 calculates the drive wheel torque using a physical model of the engine vehicle. The physical model includes a virtual engine 331 that models the engine and a virtual transmission 332 that models a transmission capable of manual shifting. The virtual transmission 332 also includes a model of an automated clutch. 【0027】 In the virtual engine 331, the relationship between virtual engine rotational speed and virtual engine torque is defined for each accelerator opening. The rotational speed-torque characteristics of the virtual engine 331 can be set to those of a gasoline engine, or to those of a diesel engine. It can also be set to those of a naturally aspirated engine, or to those of a turbocharged engine. The virtual engine rotational speed is calculated based on the virtual gear ratio calculated by the virtual transmission 332, the virtual reduction ratio from the virtual transmission 332 to the drive wheels, and the vehicle speed. The virtual engine torque calculated by the virtual engine 331 is input to the virtual transmission 332. 【0028】 In the virtual transmission 332, a virtual gear ratio is set for each shift position. For example, if there are shift positions from 1st to 6th gear, the largest virtual gear ratio is set for 1st gear, and the virtual gear ratios decrease in the order of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th gear. The virtual transmission torque is calculated using the virtual gear ratio calculated by the virtual transmission 332 and the virtual engine torque input from the virtual engine 331. The manual mode parameter calculation unit 330 calculates the drive wheel torque from the virtual transmission torque and reduction ratio. 【0029】The manual mode parameter calculation unit 330 calculates the motor torque by multiplying the drive wheel torque by the actual reduction ratio from the output shaft of the electric motor 10 to the drive wheel, and outputs a signal s9 containing the calculated motor torque information to the MG-ECU 33. However, if the electric vehicle 100 is equipped with electric motors 10 on both the front and rear wheel sides, the manual mode parameter calculation unit 330 calculates the motor torque of the front electric motor based on the torque distribution of the drive wheel torque to the front wheel, and calculates the motor torque of the rear electric motor based on the torque distribution of the drive wheel torque to the rear wheel. 【0030】 In addition, the manual mode parameter calculation unit 330 may calculate the virtual engine torque from one torque map and calculate the virtual transmission torque from the virtual engine torque and virtual gear ratio, or it may switch torque maps for each virtual gear ratio and calculate the virtual transmission torque from the torque map for each virtual gear ratio. 【0031】 3. Switching Control Modes As described above, the automatic mode includes a first automatic mode in which the strength of the regenerative braking force can be switched, and a second automatic mode in which the regenerative braking force is fixed. Switching between the first automatic mode, the second automatic mode, and the manual mode will be explained below. 【0032】 In the electric vehicle 100 according to this embodiment, when the control mode is switched from manual mode to automatic mode, the second automatic mode is selected as the control mode at the time of switching. The deceleration in automatic mode is fixed until the driver performs an operation to switch to the first automatic mode. In other words, switching from manual mode to the second automatic mode is permitted, but switching from manual mode to the first automatic mode is not permitted. 【0033】Manual mode is a mode that requires more complex operation than automatic mode. Drivers who wish to switch from manual mode to automatic mode are likely to want to reduce the hassle and drive the electric vehicle 100 with easier operation, and may find the operation of selecting deceleration troublesome. According to the electric vehicle 100 of this embodiment, when switching from manual mode to automatic mode, the deceleration is fixed, and the driver does not need to select deceleration, so the control mode can be made to suit the needs of such drivers. In addition, since the deceleration is fixed, it is possible to prevent deterioration of drivability due to changes in deceleration caused by erroneous operation. Furthermore, if the driver wishes to change the deceleration, it is possible to change the deceleration by switching the control mode to the first automatic mode, so it is unlikely to cause inconvenience to the driver. 【0034】 On the other hand, when switching from automatic mode to manual mode, it is possible to switch to manual mode from either the first automatic mode or the second automatic mode. This is because there is no need to impose any particular restrictions if the driver chooses manual mode of their own volition. 【0035】 4. Switching Operation 4-1. Switching Deceleration In the first automatic mode, the BEV-ECU 30 switches the deceleration in response to the driver's operation of the paddle shifter 23. The paddle shifter 23 is used as an operating member for performing a virtual gear change operation in manual mode, and as a deceleration selector in the first automatic mode. By using the paddle shifter 23 according to each mode, the operating members installed in the electric vehicle 100 can be effectively utilized, eliminating the need to install different operating members for manual mode and automatic mode. 【0036】Furthermore, in the first automatic mode, the driver can increase the strength of the regenerative braking force by performing the same operation as downshifting in manual mode, and decrease the strength of the regenerative braking force by performing the same operation as upshifting in manual mode. In a manual transmission vehicle, downshifting increases engine braking, and upshifting decreases engine braking. Therefore, by making the operation to increase the regenerative braking force in the first automatic mode the same as downshifting in manual mode, and the operation to decrease the regenerative braking force the same as upshifting in manual mode, the operation can be made more intuitive to understand, and errors can be reduced. 【0037】 4-2. Operation for Switching Control Modes The paddle shifter 23 may also be used as an operating member for switching the control mode between the first automatic mode and the second automatic mode. Figure 3 shows an example of an operation for switching the control mode and deceleration level. Between the second automatic mode and manual mode, the driver can arbitrarily switch the control mode. Switching from the first automatic mode to manual mode is possible, but switching from manual mode to the first automatic mode is not permitted. In manual mode, briefly operating the right paddle increases the virtual shift position by one step, and briefly operating the left paddle decreases the virtual shift position by one step. In the first automatic mode, briefly operating the right paddle weakens the regenerative braking force, and briefly operating the left paddle strengthens the regenerative braking force. 【0038】Furthermore, the operation to switch from the second automatic mode to the first automatic mode is to briefly operate the left or right paddle. In other words, switching from the second automatic mode, where the regenerative braking force is fixed, to the first automatic mode, where the regenerative braking force can be switched, is the same operation as switching the strength of the regenerative braking force in the first automatic mode. By making the switching operation such that, the driver can smoothly and continuously switch from the second automatic mode to the first automatic mode and switch the regenerative braking force. For example, if the current control mode is the second automatic mode and the driver wants to increase the regenerative braking force, the driver can switch the control mode to the first automatic mode and increase the regenerative braking force by pulling the left paddle twice in quick succession. In this way, the operation from switching the control mode to switching the regenerative braking force can be performed quickly and continuously. 【0039】On the other hand, the operation to switch from the first automatic mode to the second automatic mode is different from the operation to switch from the second automatic mode to the first automatic mode. If the operations were the same, it would be impossible to distinguish between the operation to switch regenerative braking force and the operation to switch modes in the first automatic mode. Here, the operation to switch from the first automatic mode to the second automatic mode is to operate the right paddle for a predetermined amount of time or longer. That is, in the first automatic mode, if the driver holds the right paddle for less than the predetermined time, the regenerative braking force is switched, and if the driver continues to hold the right paddle for the predetermined time or longer, the control mode is switched to the second automatic mode. In this way, by using the same operating member for switching from the second automatic mode to the first automatic mode as the operating member for switching from the first automatic mode to the second automatic mode, and by making the operating time different, it is possible to distinguish between the operation to switch control modes and the operation to switch regenerative braking force, and for the driver, it is easy and convenient to operate as the control mode can be switched with only one type of operating member. Furthermore, in the first automatic mode, the right-hand paddle corresponds to reducing the regenerative braking force. Therefore, even if the driver mistakenly pulls the right-hand paddle for less than the predetermined time, the regenerative braking force will not suddenly increase and the electric vehicle 100 will not be braked. In this way, even if a driver error occurs, it is less likely that a driving condition that would cause discomfort to the driver will occur. 【0040】 In this example, the operating time of the paddle shifter 23 is assumed to be different for switching from the second automatic mode to the first automatic mode and from the first automatic mode to the second automatic mode, but the operating method may also be different. 【0041】Also, when the control mode is switched from the first automatic mode to the second automatic mode, the regenerative braking force set in the first automatic mode may be carried over. In this case, in the second automatic mode, the strength of the regenerative braking force will be fixed at the regenerative braking force set in the first automatic mode. Alternatively, when switching to the second automatic mode, the regenerative braking force may be reset to a strength set as a standard. In this case, the regenerative braking force in the second automatic mode will always be the same strength. 【0042】 5. The plurality of drive modes The automatic mode may include a plurality of drive modes with different regenerative braking force intensities. And when an operation for switching the regenerative braking force is performed, the drive mode may be switched. 【0043】 Fig. 4 shows an example of a plurality of drive modes. The vertical axis of the graph represents the torque of the electric motor 10 that generates the regenerative braking force, and the horizontal axis represents the motor rotational speed. There are three types of drive modes from drive mode 1 to drive mode 3, and the strength of the regenerative braking force is preset for each drive mode. Each drive mode may be given a name appropriate to the situation for the driver to refer to when selecting. For example, they may be named eco mode, normal mode, and sports mode in order from the drive mode with weak regenerative braking force. 【0044】 When the automatic mode includes a plurality of drive modes, when switching from the first automatic mode to the second automatic mode, the drive mode setting may be carried over as it is. After the driver selects the drive mode in the first automatic mode, the driver can fix the drive mode to a preferred mode by switching to the second automatic mode. 【0045】Furthermore, when the control mode is switched from manual mode to automatic mode, the BEV-ECU30 may set the drive mode to the previously selected mode. For example, suppose the driver selects sport mode while driving in first automatic mode. Then, after switching the control mode from automatic mode to manual mode, the driver switches back from manual mode to automatic mode. At this time, the BEV-ECU30 sets the control mode to second automatic mode. Furthermore, the BEV-ECU30 sets the drive mode at this time to sport mode, which the driver selected previously. In this way, the drive mode setting tailored to the driver's preference can be carried over without the driver having to perform any selection operation themselves. 【0046】 10 Electric motor, 11 Meter, 12 Buzzer, 13 Speaker, 20 Shift range selector, 21 Control mode switch, 22 Accelerator pedal, 23 Paddle shifter, 24 Multimedia system, 30 BEV-ECU, 31 SBW-ECU, 32 MM-ECU, 33 MG-ECU, 34 Meter-ECU, 35 ASC-ECU, 100 Electric vehicle, 310 Control mode switching unit, 320 Automatic mode parameter calculation unit, 330 Manual mode parameter calculation unit, 331 Virtual engine, 332 Virtual transmission

Claims

1. An electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power source for driving, comprising: a control device for controlling the electric vehicle; and a shifter, wherein the control device is configured to switch between a plurality of control modes according to the operation of the driver of the electric vehicle; the plurality of control modes include an automatic mode for driving as a normal electric vehicle and a manual mode for driving that simulates a manual transmission vehicle by accepting a virtual gear shift operation by the shifter; and the automatic mode includes a first automatic mode in which the regenerative braking force of the electric motor is switched according to the operation of the shifter and a second automatic mode in which the regenerative braking force is fixed.

2. An electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the control device switches the control mode from the manual mode to the automatic mode, the control mode when switched from the manual mode is set to the second automatic mode.

3. An electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control device allows switching from the first automatic mode and the second automatic mode to the manual mode when switching the control mode from the automatic mode to the manual mode.

4. An electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device switches the control mode between the first automatic mode and the second automatic mode in response to the operation of the shifter.

5. An electric vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that the operation of the shifter for switching the control mode from the first automatic mode to the second automatic mode and the operation of the shifter for switching the control mode from the second automatic mode to the first automatic mode are different.

6. An electric vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the operation of the shifter for switching the regenerative braking force in the first automatic mode and the operation of the shifter for switching from the second automatic mode to the first automatic mode are the same operation.

7. An electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first automatic mode includes a plurality of drive modes with different strengths of the regenerative braking force, and when the control mode is set to the first automatic mode, the drive modes are switched in accordance with the operation of the shifter.

8. An electric vehicle according to claim 7, wherein when the control device switches the control mode from the manual mode to the first automatic mode, the control mode is set to the drive mode that was previously set.

9. An electric vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the operation time or method of the shifter differs between the operation of the shifter for switching from the first automatic mode to the second automatic mode and the operation of the shifter for switching from the second automatic mode to the first automatic mode.

10. An electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the shifter is a paddle shifter consisting of a pair of paddles, and the control device is configured to, in the first automatic mode, weaken the regenerative braking force in response to the operation of one of the paddles of the paddle shifter, strengthen the regenerative braking force in response to the operation of the other paddle of the paddle shifter, and switch the control mode from the first automatic mode to the second automatic mode in response to the operation of one of the paddles.

11. An electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the shifter is a paddle shifter consisting of a pair of paddles, and the control device is configured to, in the first automatic mode, weaken the regenerative braking force in response to the operation of one paddle of the paddle shifter, and strengthen the regenerative braking force in response to the operation of the other paddle of the paddle shifter, and in the manual mode, raise the virtual shift position by one step in response to the operation of one paddle, and lower the virtual shift position by one step in response to the operation of the other paddle.

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