A method for operating a motor vehicle having a traction battery for driving the motor vehicle and having a recuperation device for charging the traction battery by way of energy recovery, comprising: providing a recuperation mode of the recuperation device for charging the traction battery; providing a freewheeling mode of the motor vehicle without recuperation of the recuperation device; selecting an operating mode of the motor vehicle from the freewheeling mode and the recuperation mode in dependence on an energy balance and/or an exergy balance of the motor vehicle, wherein the energy balance and/or the exergy balance of the motor vehicle comprises vehicle data and ambient climate data which comprise an ambient temperature and a solar radiation, wherein the selecting of the operating mode comprises: - predicting a future driving route of the motor vehicle with future acceleration and/or deceleration conditions on the future driving route, wherein the future acceleration and/or deceleration conditions on the future driving route are predicted in dependence on a road traffic situation, a road topology, at least one traffic rule, a distance to a vehicle travelling ahead and a distance to a vehicle travelling behind; - ascertaining a freewheeling energy and/or a freewheeling exergy for covering the predicted future driving route; - ascertaining a recuperation energy and/or a recuperation exergy for covering the predicted future driving route; and - selecting the operating mode in dependence on the ascertained freewheeling energy and/or the ascertained freewheeling exergy and also the ascertained recuperation energy and/or the ascertained recuperation exergy; and - operating the motor vehicle in the selected operating mode. providing a recuperation mode of the recuperation device for charging the traction battery; providing a freewheeling mode of the motor vehicle without recuperation of the recuperation device; selecting an operating mode of the motor vehicle from the freewheeling mode and the recuperation mode in dependence on an energy balance and/or an exergy balance of the motor vehicle, wherein the energy balance and/or the exergy balance of the motor vehicle comprises vehicle data and ambient climate data which comprise an ambient temperature and a solar radiation, wherein the selecting of the operating mode comprises: - predicting a future driving route of the motor vehicle with future acceleration and/or deceleration conditions on the future driving route, wherein the future acceleration and/or deceleration conditions on the future driving route are predicted in dependence on a road traffic situation, a road topology, at least one traffic rule, a distance to a vehicle travelling ahead and a distance to a vehicle travelling behind; - ascertaining a freewheeling energy and/or a freewheeling exergy for covering the predicted future driving route; - ascertaining a recuperation energy and/or a recuperation exergy for covering the predicted future driving route; and - selecting the operating mode in dependence on the ascertained freewheeling energy and/or the ascertained freewheeling exergy and also the ascertained recuperation energy and/or the ascertained recuperation exergy; and - operating the motor vehicle in the selected operating mode. - predicting a future driving route of the motor vehicle with future acceleration and/or deceleration conditions on the future driving route, wherein the future acceleration and/or deceleration conditions on the future driving route are predicted in dependence on a road traffic situation, a road topology, at least one traffic rule, a distance to a vehicle travelling ahead and a distance to a vehicle travelling behind; - ascertaining a freewheeling energy and/or a freewheeling exergy for covering the predicted future driving route; - ascertaining a recuperation energy and/or a recuperation exergy for covering the predicted future driving route; and - selecting the operating mode in dependence on the ascertained freewheeling energy and/or the ascertained freewheeling exergy and also the ascertained recuperation energy and/or the ascertained recuperation exergy; and - operating the motor vehicle in the selected operating mode.