Vehicle control device (50) performing a driving control that controls the driving of its own vehicle (10) in order to enable the own vehicle to follow a
vehicle driving ahead of it, with an environmental prediction unit (33) that predicts whether a change in impairment has occurred in an environment around the own vehicle, wherein the change in impairment is likely to have an
adverse effect on the fuel economy of the own vehicle, and an
acceleration control unit (32) for performing a prediction control which makes it possible to limit the acceleration of the vehicle itself when the environment prediction unit predicts that the impairment change in the environment has occurred, wherein The driving
control system is configured to control the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle so that the vehicle follows the vehicle in front, and the driving
control system is configured to control the deceleration of the vehicle at a first deceleration rate adjustable by the driving
control system. The
acceleration control unit is configured to predict that the impairment change has occurred in the environment around the vehicle when the environment prediction unit predicts that the impairment change is a deceleration requirement change in the environment, where the deceleration requirement change is necessary to decelerate the vehicle, and Executing a deceleration control as a predictive control that decelerates the own vehicle at a predetermined second deceleration rate when the environmental prediction unit predicts that the impairment change in the environment has occurred, where the second deceleration rate is lower than the first deceleration rate. The environmental prediction unit, based on a first index for the
fuel efficiency of the vehicle and a second index for the vehicle's performance relative to the vehicle in front, predicts whether the change in environmental conditions has occurred. The first index for the
fuel efficiency of one's own vehicle contains a predicted value for braking energy or a predicted value for
fuel efficiency, The predicted value of the braking energy represents a value of the braking energy whose generation is predicted based on a deceleration of the vehicle by the driving control
system during a first predetermined time period from a
current time to a predetermined first future time, and the second index for the vehicle's subsequent performance represents a deviation amount of a position of the vehicle or a deviation amount of a speed of the vehicle or the sum of deviations in the position of the vehicle from ideal driving, based on the
vehicle control system, during a second predetermined time period from the
current time to a predetermined second future time or The sum of deviations in the speed of the vehicle from ideal driving, based on the driving control, during the second predetermined time period from the
current time to the predetermined second future time.