Patent ID: 6672415
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: B60K,B60L,B60W,F16H,H01M,Y02E,Y02T,Y10S

Abstract:
A vehicle having at least two energy output sources including a fuel cell, said vehicle comprising:a drive shaft that outputs mechanical power to move said vehicle; a mechanical energy output mechanism that converts energy output from each of said at least two energy output sources into mechanical energy and outputs the converted mechanical energy to said drive shaft, a detection unit that measures at least either one of an output sustaining ability and a variation thereof with regard to said fuel cell; an output controller that controls an output energy from said fuel cell based on a result of the measurement by said detection unit and controls an output from the remaining energy output sources based on the output from said fuel cell so as to ensure output of a required total energy; wherein the required total energy is expressed as a quantity of mechanical energy output from said drive shaft per unit time, wherein said vehicle has a specific driving range where said fuel cell is selected to be mainly used to output the required total energy, and wherein said output controller narrows the specific driving range according to at least one of the output sustaining ability and a variation thereof.