In a vehicle control apparatus having an arithmetic processing unit including an arithmetic unit, a storage unit and a communication unit, and an input/output unit including an signal input unit or a signal output unit and a communication unit, the arithmetic processing unit is connected to the input/output unit via a serial communication line, the input/output unit is equipped with an event management unit for detecting an event of a signal input or a signal output and notifying the event to the arithmetic processing unit; and the arithmetic processing unit is, equipped with an input/output management unit for performing data exchange between the signal input unit or the signal output unit and the storage unit via the communication units, in accordance with a request from the arithmetic unit and an event notice from the event management unit.