System and method for operating a vehicle taking into account information on traffic lights and surrounding vehicles

A method for operating an ego vehicle with at least one prime mover on a route during approaching and passing one or several traffic lights (TL1, TL2, TL3), comprising the following steps which are continuously iterated during operation of the ego vehicle: a) scheduling a data map of traffic lights (TL1, TL2, TL3), including positions and green phase sequences of the traffic lights (TL1, TL2, TL3); b) gathering the position of the ego vehicle, preferably by a global positioning system; c) recording the position and the speed of surrounding vehicles, preferably of vehicles driving on the same route ahead of the ego vehicle; d) gathering information about the route ahead, preferably environmental information and/or traffic information and/or information on the position and the speed of at least one surrounding vehicle driving ahead of and/or behind the ego vehicle; e) gathering power-train and efficiency information of the ego vehicle; f) estimating and optimizing a velocity profile on the basis of steps a) to e), wherein an acceleration trajectory (T3) is determined for efficiently operating the power-train while passing the route's traffic lights.