Abstract: An externally chargeable vehicle which is charged with electric power from an external power supply includes an HV-ECU for controlling a power storage device during any of operation of the vehicle and external charging, and a PLG-ECU for controlling a charging device during external charging. With such a configuration, running and charging can be controlled while a function of the HV-ECU for controlling operation of the vehicle and a function of the PLG-ECU for external charging is prevented from becoming redundant.

Abstract: A vehicle including a battery, a plug receiving portion for receiving a plug for supply an electric power to be charged in the battery or a plug for receiving an electric power discharged from the battery, a lid for closing the plug receiving portion and a light for illuminating the plug receiving portion. In the vehicle, when the state of the vehicle becomes a running mode indicating a state that the running of the vehicle is permitted, the light is turned off.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a connection unit, a lid of the connection unit, one lock unit, another lock unit, and a drive device. The connection unit is configured to connect a power cable. One lock unit is configured to lock connection of the power cable to the connection unit. The other lock unit is configured to lock the lid to a closed state. The drive device is configured to drive both of the lock units to a locked state when at least one of a first condition permitting one lock unit to be locked and a second condition permitting the other lock unit to be locked is established.

Abstract: There is provided a charging device for a vehicle, which carries out timer charging in which the charging device, is set in a standby state without charging until charging start time comes when the charging start time is set. The charging device includes a charger that charges an electrical storage device of the vehicle with electric power supplied from a device outside the vehicle, a cable lock mechanism (260) that locks a charging cable in a state where the charging cable is connected to an inlet, and an electronic control unit (170) that determines whether to carry out timer charging or carry out instant charging without carrying out the timer charging on the basis of a state of a switch associated with operation of the cable lock mechanism (260).

Abstract: A charging device for a vehicle carries out timer charging in which the charging device is set in a standby state without charging until charging start time comes when the charging start time is set for a vehicle-mounted electrical storage device. The charging device for the vehicle includes a charger that charges the electrical storage device with electric power supplied from a device outside the vehicle, and an ECU that determines whether to carry out timer charging or carry out instant charging without carrying out the timer charging on the basis of a state of a switch associated with an open/close state of a charging lid, and that controls the charger. Desirably, a timer cancellation or determination switch is also used as a switch for detecting the open/close state of the lid or a switch for opening the lid.

Abstract: A charging connector includes a lock button for locking the charging connector in a charging inlet, and a limit switch for electrically connecting a control pilot line and a ground line to each other in response to an operation of the lock button. The vehicle inlet includes a switch circuit for selectively connecting the control pilot line and the ground line with a resistance circuit, depending on whether a charging lid is open or closed. A CPU is configured to be able to supply a voltage to the control pilot line, and based on a potential of a control signal in accordance with presence/absence of voltage supply to the control pilot line, it detects the state of connection of a charging cable and the state of control pilot line.

Abstract: Disclosed is a steel for machine structural use including 0.05-0.8% of C, 0.03-2% of Si, 0.2-1.8% of Mn, 0.1-0.5% of Al, 0.0005-0.008% of B, and 0.002-0.015% of N, and including 0.03% of P or less (excluding 0%), 0.03% of S or less (excluding 0%), and 0.002% of O or less (excluding 0%), with the remainder comprising iron and unavoidable impurities. The ratio of BN/AlN precipitated in the steel is 0.020-0.2. Also disclosed is a case hardened steel component in which the ratio of BN/AlN deposited on the carburized or carbonitrided component surface is 0.01 or less and a manufacturing method for same. The steel for machine structural use exhibits excellent machinability in continuous cutting at high speeds using cemented carbide tools, and in interrupted cutting at low speeds using high-speed steel tools, as well as excellent impact performance, even after being subjected to a heat treatment such as quenching and tempering.

Abstract: Provided is a steel for machine structural use which has excellent machinability (particularly, with respect to tool life) for both intermittent cutting with a high-speed steel tool and continuous cutting with a cemented carbide tool while maintaining strength properties required of the steel for machine structural use. Specifically, the steel for machine structural use contains C: 0.05-0.9 mass %, Si: 0.03-2 mass %, Mn: 0.2-1.8 mass %, P: 0.03 mass % or less, S: 0.03 mass % or less, Al: 0.1-0.5 mass %, N: 0.002-0.017 mass %, and O: 0.003 mass % or less, and contains one or more selected from a group consisting of Ti: 0.05 mass % or less (excluding 0 mass %) and B: 0.008 mass % or less (excluding 0 mass %), with the remainder being iron and unavoidable impurities, and satisfies all of the following inequalities (1)-(3) below: (1): [N]?0.3[Ti]?1.4[B]<(0.0004/[Al])?0.002; (2): [Ti]?[N]/0.3<0.005; and (3): [B]?([N]?0.3[Ti])/1.4<0.003 when [Ti]?[N]/0.3<0 and [B]<0.003 when [Ti]?[N]/0.3?0.

Abstract: In a steel sheet having a specific chemical composition and having a microstructure including ferrite that is a soft first phase by 20-50% in terms of the area ratio, the remainder being tempered martensite and/or tempered bainite that is a hard second phase, the microstructure of steel of a surface layer section of the steel sheet from the surface to the depth of 100 ?m and a center section of t/4-3t/4 (t is the sheet thickness) is controlled.

Abstract: In a high strength cold-rolled steel plate having a specific chemical composition, a soft first phase (ferrite) has an area ratio of 20-50%, the remainder being a hard second phase (tempered martensite and/or tempered bainite), among all the ferrite grains, ferrite grains that have an average grain diameter of 10-25 ?m account for a total area ratio of 80% or more, the number of the cementite grains that have an equivalent circle diameter of 0.3 ?m or more is more than 0.15 piece and 1.0 piece or less per 1 ?m2 of ferrite, and the tensile strength is 980 MPa or more.

Abstract: A PLG-ECU for external charging is provided separately from an HV-ECU for vehicle running, and configured to be capable of controlling external charging relays to be turned on/off. A sub DC/DC converter converting the output voltage of a charger into an auxiliary system voltage at the time of external charging is provided separately from a main DC/DC converter of large capacity used at the time of vehicle running. At the time of external charging, PLG-ECU can execute external charging without starting a vehicle running system while sub DC/DC converter can generate an auxiliary system voltage. Since external charging can be executed while system main relays each are kept turned off, a high voltage is not applied to components at the succeeding stage. Consequently, a main battery can be externally charged without exerting any influence on the durability and the life of each component of the vehicle running system.

Abstract: A high-strength cold-rolled steel sheet has a chemical composition including C of 0.05% to 0.30%, Si of greater than 0% to 3.0%, Mn of 0.1% to 5.0%, P of greater than 0% to 0.1%, S of greater than 0% to 0.02%, Al of 0.01% to 1.0%, and N of greater than 0% to 0.01%, in mass percent, with the remainder including iron and inevitable impurities. The steel sheet has a microstructure containing ferrite as a soft primary phase in an area percentage of 20% to 50% with the remainder including tempered martensite and/or tempered bainite as a hard secondary phase. The ferrite grains are adapted to contain cementite particles having an appropriate size in an appropriate number density.

Abstract: A vehicle including a battery, a plug receiving portion for receiving a plug for supply an electric power to be charged in the battery or a plug for receiving an electric power discharged from the battery, a lid for closing the plug receiving portion and a light for illuminating the plug receiving portion. In the vehicle, when the state of the vehicle becomes a running mode indicating a state that the running of the vehicle is permitted, the light is turned off.

Abstract: A charger is configured to charge a power storage device. An ECU is configured to control charging of the power storage device by the charger. While charging of the power storage device is not executed, the ECU operates in a sleep mode in which power consumption is smaller than that in a wakeup mode in which charging control is being executed, until a pilot signal is detected. After charging of the power storage device is ended, the ECU operates in an intermittent activation mode in which a wait mode and the wakeup mode are regularly switched to each other, until stoppage of oscillation of the pilot signal is detected.

Abstract: In response to connection of a vehicle with an external power supply, a PLG-ECU performs a first charging operation of controlling a charger using a target value which is set to a state of charge lower than a predetermined full state of charge, until the state of charge of a power storage device reaches the target value. After the state of charge reaches the target value, the PLG-ECU stops charging of the power storage device, and restarts charging of the power storage device so that the state of charge reaches the predetermined full state of charge at a scheduled time to end charging which is specified through the use of an input unit.

Abstract: An electric powered vehicle is equipped with a main battery for storing electric power input to and output from a motor, and an auxiliary battery as a power source for an auxiliary system including a control system. A DC/DC converter converts an output voltage of the main battery to a level of an output voltage of the auxiliary battery. During operation, a BAT-ECU monitors states of charge of the main battery and the auxiliary battery and controls operation/stop of the DC/DC converter. When the electric powered vehicle is in a key-off state (running stop state), the BAT-ECU is intermittently operated, while an external charging system and a vehicle running system are stopped.

Abstract: A vehicle can be charged by receiving electric power from an external power supply apparatus (600) via a charging cable (450) and includes an inlet (220), a lid (250) for protecting the inlet (220), and an electricity storage device (110). The inlet (220) includes a C terminal (227) for detecting connection to the power supply apparatus (600) and a G terminal that is connected to the body earth of the vehicle (100). The lid (250) is configured to electrically connect between the C terminal (227) and the G terminal (223) when the lid (250) is closed. The vehicle (100) further includes a PLG-ECU (350) that detects whether the lid (250) is open or closed, based on the voltage of the C terminal (227).

Abstract: A charging cable includes a charging connector configured to be connectable to a vehicular inlet. The charging connector includes a lock button for locking the charging connector onto the charging inlet; a limit switch configured to be switchable, according to an operation onto the lock button, between a first state in which a control pilot wire and a ground wire are connected to each other and a second state in which a cable connection signal wire and the ground wire are connected to each other; and a lighting device configured to be capable of being driven according to a signal in a signal wire connected via a limit switch.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a power storage device, a power receiving unit for receiving power for charging the power storage device from an external power supply, an illumination unit for emitting light to the power receiving unit in response to a transistor attaining an on-state, and stopping the emission of light in response to the transistor attaining an off-state, and a microcomputer for controlling the transistor such that the transistor is turned off in response to connection between the external power supply and the power receiving unit, and the transistor is turned on in response to release of the connection between the external power supply and the power receiving unit.

Abstract: A PHV-ECU includes a power supply node, a switch and a CPU. A voltage is applied to the power supply node in accordance with a signal rendered active. When determining based on a connection state signal that a charging cable is unconnected or abnormal, the CPU turns on the switch. A shift-lock ECU includes output ports and a switch. A shift-lock solenoid of a lock release mechanism is connected between the output ports. When a brake signal is rendered active, the switch is turned on.