Method for identifying optimal vehicle paths when energy is a key metric or constraint

An apparatus comprising:

• one of a mobile platform and a fixed platform;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer on the one of a mobile platform and a fixed platform, cause the computer to carry out a method for determining an energy-optimal path for a vehicle from an initial location to a final location, the vehicle corresponding to a vehicle energy model, the method comprising:
• generating based at least on the initial location, an initial time, the final location, the vehicle energy model, and an environmental forecast a global path, the global path comprising a final maximum net energy path, the global path comprising a plurality of waypoints;
• generating based on the global path a local path from the present location to a next waypoint of the plurality of waypoints, said generating a local path comprising determining whether a net energy gain is generated by a deviation from the global path to the next waypoint of the plurality of waypoints;
• and
• repeating said generating a local path until the vehicle reaches the final location.