600 is connected to the charging unit 21, the charge managing ECU 24 determines that the replaceable battery pack 600 is waiting for lending.

The charge managing ECU 24 includes an antenna 24A, and the antenna 24A detects radio waves transmitted from the replaceable battery pack 600. The radio waves transmitted by the replaceable battery pack 600 include state-of-charge information such as a charge rate, a charge amount, and a charge level of the replaceable battery pack 600. Accordingly, the charge managing ECU 24 can manage the charge status of the replaceable battery pack 600 and the like.

Similarly, the charge managing ECU 25 manages whether the replaceable battery pack 700 is connected to the charging unit 22, the state of charge of the replaceable battery pack 700, and the like. The charge managing ECU 25 includes an antenna 25A, and the antenna 25A detects radio waves transmitted from the replaceable battery pack 700. According to the charge state information included in the radio waves transmitted from the replaceable battery pack 700, the charge managing ECU 25 can manage the charge state of the replaceable battery pack 700 and the like.

The integrated ECU 26 is connected to a charge managing ECU 24, 25. The integrated ECU 26 sends a usage status of the replaceable battery pack 600,700 by the charge managing ECU 24, 25 (specifically, a lending management status such as a lending status or a lending standby status) to the communication networking NW. Communication networking NW include, for example, LAN (Local Area Network) and the internet. The communication networking NW is connected to servers (not shown) that manage usage of the replaceable battery pack 600,700. As will be described later, for example, the integrated ECU 26 accesses the server and performs a check regarding the unpairing of the replaceable battery pack 600 from the vehicle 10.

If the unpairing is confirmed, the integrated ECU 26 allows the use of the replaceable battery pack 600 in vehicles other than the vehicle 10. Conversely, if the unpairing cannot be confirmed, the integrated ECU 26 restricts the use of the replaceable battery pack 600 in vehicles other than the vehicle 10. This is because although the replaceable battery pack 600 is limited to use in the vehicle 10 by pairing, it may have been stolen from the vehicle 10 and returned to the charger 20 as a stolen item and connected thereto.

Next, referring to FIG. 5, an operation in which EVECU 17 cooperates with the battery ECU 106 will be described.

For example, when the replaceable battery pack 100 mounted on the vehicle 10 is connected to the charger 20, the replaceable battery pack 100 may be lent out from the charger 20. First, the battery ECU 106 determines whether or not the replaceable battery pack 100 is disconnected from the charger 20 (S1). If the replaceable battery pack 100 is connected to the charger 20, the battery ECU 106 determines that the replaceable battery pack 100 is not disconnected from the charger 20 (S1: NO). The battery ECU 106 then repeats SI process. When the replaceable battery pack 100 is removed from the charger 20 by the driver of the vehicle 10, the battery ECU 106 determines that the replaceable battery pack 100 has been removed from the charger 20 (S1: YES).

When the replaceable battery pack 100 is disconnected from the charger 20, EVECU 17 determines whether the antenna ATN1, ATN2 has detected radio waves (S2). The order in which S1, S2 are processed may be reversed. In addition, S1, S2 process may be executed in parallel. For example, radio waves emitted from the replaceable battery pack 100 may not reach the antenna ATN1, ATN2 until the replaceable battery pack 100 is mounted on the vehicle 10. Then, EVECU 17 determines that the antenna ATN1, ATN2 is not detecting a radio wave (S2: NO).

When the replaceable battery pack 100 approaches the vehicle 10, radio waves transmitted from the replaceable battery pack 100 easily reach the antenna ATN1, ATN2. When the radio waves of the replaceable battery pack 100 reach the antenna ATN1, ATN2, the antenna ATN1, ATN2 can detect the radio waves. Accordingly, EVECU 17 determines that the antenna ATN1, ATN2 has detected a radio wave (S2: YES).

If the antenna ATN1, ATN2 detects radio waves, EVECU 17 determines the location of the replaceable battery pack 100 (S3). As described above, EVECU 17 identifies the disposition position of the replaceable battery pack 100, which is an exemplary particular replaceable battery pack, based on the radio wave strength of the radio wave detected by the antenna ATN1, ATN2.

For example, the replaceable battery pack 100 may be placed outside the vehicle cabin (e.g., on a road) of the vehicle 10 depending on the radio wave strength of the radio wave detected by the antenna ATN1, ATN2. Therefore, when the radio wave strength is low, EVECU 17 can specify that the disposition position of the replaceable battery pack 100 is outside the vehicle cabin.

On the other hand, depending on the radio wave strength of the radio wave detected by the antenna ATN1, ATN2, the replaceable battery pack 100 may be placed in the vehicle cabin of the vehicle 10 (e.g., the passenger compartment or the luggage compartment). Therefore, when the radio wave strength is high, EVECU 17 can specify that the disposition position of the replaceable battery pack 100 is inside the vehicle cabin. EVECU 17 can determine the intensity of the radio wave intensity by the threshold intensity.

Here, EVECU 17 determines whether or not the disposition position of the replaceable battery pack 100 is in the vehicle cabin (S4). When the arrangement position is outside the vehicle cabin (S4: NO), EVECU 17 skips the subsequent processing and ends the processing. As a result, when the replaceable battery pack 100 is placed outside the vehicle cabin such as on the road, pairing between the replaceable battery pack 100 and the vehicle 10 to be described later is avoided.

On the other hand, when the arrangement position is in the vehicle cabin (S4: YES), EVECU 17 determines whether or not there is a connection destination (S5). For example, when the disposition position of the replaceable battery pack 100 corresponds to the position of the battery terminal base 111, EVECU 17 determines that there is a connection destination (S5: YES). Even if the disposition position of the replaceable battery pack 100 corresponds to the position of the battery terminal base 112, EVECU 17 determines that there is a connection destination. On the other hand, if the disposition position of the replaceable battery pack 100 temporarily corresponds to the position of the cargo compartment, EVECU 17 determines that there is no connection destination (S