Patent ID: 8346420

Claim:
A method for generating projected vehicle energy consumption information for a second vehicle using statistical information describing a driving history of a driver of a first vehicle, the method comprising: automatically collecting a set of vehicle performance values from at least one sensor of the first vehicle, while the driver operates the first vehicle, in order to determine the statistical information; archiving the statistical information in at least one memory location; correlating, via a controller, the statistical information archived in the at least one memory location with a vehicle specification describing a performance capability of the second vehicle; and transmitting a message that includes the projected vehicle energy consumption information for the second vehicle and that is based on the driving history of the driver of the first vehicle; wherein the first vehicle is selected from the group consisting essentially of a conventional vehicle, a battery electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, and an extended-range electric vehicle, and wherein the second vehicle is a different member of the group than the first vehicle.