Method, apparatus and computer program product for vehicle platooning

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

• receive, by a platoon matching exchange server, a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, a first trip origin, and a first trip destination;
• determine a first projected efficiency of a first vehicle associated with the first vehicle identification along a direct route between the first trip origin and the first trip destination;
• receive, by the platoon matching exchange server, a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, a second trip origin, and a second trip destination, wherein the first trip origin is different from the second trip origin, and wherein the first trip destination is different from the second trip destination;
• determine a second projected efficiency of a second vehicle associated with the second vehicle identification along a direct route between the second trip origin and the second trip destination;
• generate, by the platoon matching exchange server, a platooning plan that includes a first route associated with the first vehicle identification and a second route associated with the second vehicle identification, wherein the first route and the second route overlap for at least a portion of the respective route, wherein at least one of the first route and the second route are generated with an influence from the other of the first route and the second route based on a cumulative projected platoon efficiency, wherein a first route projected efficiency of the first vehicle along the first route is below the first projected efficiency, wherein a second route projected efficiency of the second vehicle along the second route is above the second projected efficiency, and wherein the cumulative projected platoon efficiency of the first vehicle along the first route and the second vehicle along the second route is greater than a cumulative projected efficiency of the first projected efficiency and the second projected efficiency;
• provide, by the platoon matching exchange server, the first route to the first vehicle associated with the first vehicle identification and the second route to the second vehicle associated with the second vehicle identification, and
• provide, by platoon matching exchange server, route guidance to the first vehicle along the first route and to the second vehicle along the second route.

A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions to:

• receive, by a platoon matching exchange server, a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, a first trip origin, and a first trip destination;
• determine a first projected efficiency of a first vehicle associated with the first vehicle identification along a direct route between the first trip origin and the first trip destination;
• receive, by the platoon matching exchange server, a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, a second trip origin, and a second trip destination, wherein the first trip origin is different from the second trip origin, and wherein the first trip destination is different from the second trip destination;
• determine a second projected efficiency of a second vehicle associated with the second vehicle identification along a direct route between the second trip origin and the second trip destination;
• generate, by the platoon matching exchange server, a platooning plan that includes a first route associated with the first vehicle identification and a second route associated with the second vehicle identification, wherein the first route and the second route overlap for at least a portion of the respective route, wherein at least one of the first route and the second route are generated with an influence from the other of the first route and the second route based on a cumulative projected platoon efficiency, wherein a first route projected efficiency of the first vehicle along the first route is below the first projected efficiency, wherein a second route projected efficiency of the second vehicle along the second route is above the second projected efficiency, and wherein the cumulative projected platoon efficiency of the first vehicle along the first route and the second vehicle along the second route is greater than a cumulative projected efficiency of the first projected efficiency and the second projected efficiency;
• provide, by the platoon matching exchange server, the first route to the first vehicle associated with the first vehicle identification and the second route to the second vehicle associated with the second vehicle identification, and
• provide, by the platoon matching exchange server, route guidance to the first vehicle along the first route and to the second vehicle along the second route.