A COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD OF PREDICTING ENERGY USE FOR A ROUTE

A computer-implemented method of predicting energy use for a route comprising: inputting map data of roads included in K trips in a geographical area, and inputting predictors of rate of energy use along the roads; inputting energy consumption data of the K trips, the energy consumption data indicating total energy use T between a start point A and an end point B of each of the K trips; dividing each of the roads in the map data for all the trips into segments of length measure λi; grouping the segments from the trips into a number N of clusters, the clusters defined in accordance with ranges of at least one of the predictors, each cluster being defined as having a weight Wj which is to be determined; using an algorithm to build a model predicting the weights Wj based on solving a system of equations, one per trip, each equation equating the known total energy consumption T of the trip with the sum of the known length measure of each segment in the trip multiplied by the weight for the cluster into which the segment was grouped; for each segment, assigning the predicted weight applied to the cluster in which the segment was grouped as the predicted rate of energy use Yi; and storing a segment ID with the corresponding cluster ID or predicted rate of energy use Yi to allow prediction of energy use for a route in the geographical area incorporating one or more of the segments.