Method of assisting in the control of a prime mover of a vehicle, apparatus for assisting in the control of a prime mover of a vehicle, and a vehicle comprising such an apparatus

A vehicle coasting system for assisting in the control of a prime mover of a vehicle, the vehicle coasting system comprising:

• means for determining a target speed that must be reached by the vehicle at a target position on a current path of the vehicle;
• means for estimating one or more coasting profiles for at least part of the vehicle path before the target position at least partly based on a geometry of the at least part of the vehicle path;
• means for determining at least one of the one or more coasting profiles that meets at least one predetermined coasting requirement;
• and
• means for outputting a coasting signal for either:
• controlling the prime mover to place the vehicle into a coasting mode based on the determined at least one coasting profile;
• or
• providing feedback to a vehicle user to place the vehicle into a coasting mode, such that the vehicle if placed in the coasting mode by the user will coast in accordance with the determined at least one coasting profile;
• wherein
• the vehicle has a predetermined maximum deceleration rate, wherein each of the one or more estimated coasting profiles includes at least one period of deceleration that includes a deceleration rate that is lower than the maximum deceleration rate.