Patent ID: 8538621

Claim:
A method for reminding an electric vehicle user to charge a battery of the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle having a telematics unit associated therewith and the vehicle user being associated with a mobile communications device remote from the vehicle, the method comprising: determining a location of the vehicle at the telematics unit; comparing the location of the vehicle to a home location associated with the vehicle user, the home location being a physical location where the user may charge the vehicle battery; retrieving a vehicle battery charge state and expected electric only range and determining at the telematics unit whether the expected electric only range is less than required for an expected driving trip if the location of the vehicle is within a predetermined threshold of the home location associated with the vehicle user; and determining at the telematics unit, if the expected range is less than the next expected trip, based on a current charge profile and an expected commencement time of the next trip, whether the vehicle battery will reach full charge if the charge is begun within a predetermined time period, and if it is determined that the vehicle will reach full charge if the charge is started within the predetermined time, determining if the vehicle is plugged in for charging and sending the vehicle user a reminder from the telematics unit to the mobile communications device to plug the vehicle in if the vehicle is not plugged in.