Patent ID: 8849485

Claim:
A system for operating a hybrid vehicle, comprising: a navigation system providing vehicle routing input data of the hybrid vehicle corresponding to a vehicle route; a traffic information system providing traffic information input data that includes traffic jam information for the vehicle route; and a hybrid operating strategy module for controlling hybrid operating functions of the vehicle based on the vehicle routing input data received from the navigation system and the traffic information input data, including the traffic jam information, received from the traffic information system, wherein the hybrid operating strategy module determines electric portions of the vehicle route in which to charge an energy storage device of the vehicle, and inner portions of the vehicle route in which to prioritize electric driving, wherein at least one of the inner portions of the vehicle route is defined around a location of a traffic jam determined from the traffic jam information, and wherein, in accordance with the hybrid operating strategy, in the electric portions of the vehicle route, the energy storage devices are charged to meet expected increased charge demands resulting from upcoming traffic conditions at least partly within the inner portions of the vehicle route, as determined from the traffic jam information, including expected increased charge demands resulting from said traffic jam.