Motor vehicles have a drive motor, for example, in the form of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The drive motor consumes power to generate the desired propulsion, a higher power requirement typically being needed during more rapid travel than during slower travel. A hill climb also requires more power than a hill descent, during which energy can even be reclaimed using an electric motor and/or a generator.
Furthermore, motor vehicles are frequently either equipped at the factory or are retrofitted with a navigation system, in order to ascertain the most favorable possible travel route to a destination predetermined by the user from a starting point or the current position, which is ascertained using the GPS system or, in the future, the Galileo system. For the navigation, corresponding driving instructions are output visually and/or acoustically. To display the driving instructions, displaying a map image on a display or display screen of the navigation system and/or the onboard computer is known. The surrounding landscape can either be shown schematically or approximately realistically. For illustration, the driving route to be covered is emphasized by color in the map image, for example, as a green driving route, in addition, direction specifications, such as arrows or the like, being able to be overlaid in order to illustrate turning onto a street, inter alia.
Furthermore, motor vehicles are frequently equipped with a display device (e.g., in the form of a digital display), in order to indicate power or fuel consumption.
A display device for the fuel consumption of motor vehicles is known from DE 30 00 588 A1, in which the level of the fuel consumption is shown via an illuminated band. The higher the fuel consumption, the greater the illuminated area of the illuminated band. Furthermore, a digital display for the total consumed fuel is provided.
Furthermore, DE 199 41 970 A1 discloses a method and a device for recording and displaying consumption and driving data of a motor vehicle, a current fuel consumption being displayed on a separate display device. In addition, the summation of the total consumed fuel is possible. Average consumption values may also be ascertained over a longer usage time and displayed.
Finally, EP 1 538 426 A1 describes a method for improving the reproducibility upon consumption measurements of a motor vehicle. Various variables which have an influence on the fuel consumption are processed using a neuronal network, in order to obtain simulated output variables via a standardized target driving curve. This method is solely suitable for measurements on roller test stands.
The known motor vehicles are disadvantageous in that a desired driving destination can be reliably reached using an existing navigation system, but a further display device, possibly having a separate control unit, must always be provided to optimize the fuel consumption. In addition, the driver can be significantly distracted from traffic by reading this display device, for example, a digital display.
It is at least one object of the invention to provide a motor vehicle of the type cited at the beginning, using which the lowest possible power consumption during the travel of a travel route proposed by the navigation system can be implemented. In addition, other objects, desirable features, and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.