Electric vehicle charge reduction apparatus and method

A method for use with a vehicle having a rechargeable battery and a regenerative braking system configured to selectively transmit energy to the battery, the method comprising:

• determining the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over a predicted route;
• charging the battery;
• and
• terminating charging the battery when the amount of energy stored by the battery is sufficiently less than the maximum energy storage capacity of the battery such that the battery can accommodate the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over the predicted route.

A vehicle comprising:

• a battery;
• a recharging system operatively connected to the battery and configured to selectively charge the battery by transmitting energy thereto;
• a regenerative braking system configured to selectively receive energy from an offboard source and operatively connected to the battery to selectively transmit energy thereto;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the recharging system and configured to control the recharging system;
• wherein the controller is configured to determine an amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over a predicted route;
• and
• wherein the controller is configured to control the recharging system such that the amount of energy transferred from the recharging system to the battery is based on the amount of the vehicle's gravitational potential energy that is recoverable by the regenerative braking system over the predicted route.