Method for optimizing energy in the manner in which a vehicle or train is driven using a sliding optimization horizon

A method for power optimization in a vehicle traveling over a route between a start point and a destination, the route being subdivided into a number of sections and each section being assigned a specific time reserve, the method comprising:

• determining a power-saving travel mode for the vehicle while the vehicle is located in a section, the travel mode being determined using an optimization algorithm for a portion of the route comprising a selected number n of contiguous sections further towards the destination than the section in which the vehicle is located, the number of section n being less than the number of sections in the route, the time reserves assigned to the selected sections being taken into account by the optimization algorithm;
• and either
• repeating the step of determining a power-saving travel mode when the vehicle moves into a further section along the route if at least n sections remain in the route;
• or
• determining a power-saving travel mode for the vehicle for all sections remaining in the route if less than n sections remain in the route.