This vehicle control device comprises: a slope movement start assistance unit that maintains a braking force until elapse of a predetermined period since execution of a braking release operation for releasing a braking force applied to the wheels of a vehicle equipped with a motor serving as a power source such that the vehicle does not go down a slope; an acquisition unit that acquires each of the gradient of a road surface on which the vehicle is stopped and the total weight of the vehicle; and a control unit that executes control for causing the motor to generate, in the predetermined period, a threshold torque that corresponds to each of the gradient of the road surface on which the vehicle is stopped and the total weight of the vehicle.

A method for operating brakes of a vehicle includes: transmitting vehicle location information acquired from a location detection device mounted on the vehicle to a remote server, receiving first remote data on whether the vehicle is located within a goods delivery zone that is calculated based on the location information from the remote server, switching a vehicle operation mode to a brake automatic operation mode if a value of the first remote data is determined to indicate that the vehicle is located within the goods delivery zone; determining whether a predetermined first condition is satisfied in the automatic operation mode; and transmitting an instruction to a vehicle integration controller mounted on the vehicle to operate the brakes of the vehicle in a first manner if the first condition is determined to be satisfied. A device for operating brakes of the vehicle may perform the method.