GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out)
Ford should be able to do better than using just recent driving results (from a different driving route) to predict power consumption for future driving.
It IS possible to use Google Earth, to display (and export) an elevation PROFILE, for any trip.
Combined with a simple equation for approximating Watt-hours/mile, as a function of the slope of the road surface, this Google Earth elevation profile can allow an accurate (and realistic) estimate of battery energy remaining, at any point in your trip.
Combine that with the typical mapping-program information about speed limits and distances, add in some information on the driver's past performance (average braking score, acceleration score, heater use, A/C use), and include temperature, wind speed, and wind direction (from a weather program), and you could have a pretty accurate prediction of energy consumption.
I envision a system where the driver would select a route, and the car's computer would download the route data and elevation profile. Then, the driver would be able to see how far they were going to be able to go, along that route, before needing to recharge. If the driver was unsatisfied with the results, they could go through a "driving condition wizard" that would show a series of screens representing the effect of various factors. For instance, the driver could be told that keeping their maximum speed under a certain value and keeping their thermostat at a certain value would allow them to reach a certain charging station, with a certain margin of error.
