A cloud computing based optimal driving method is proposed and its feasibility is valida-ted through a real-world scenario simulation. Based on principles of vehicle dynamics, the driving optimization problem has been formulated into an optimal control problem constrained by traffic rules, directed at achieving lower equivalent fuel consumption and shorter travel time. In order to conveniently specify the constraints and facilitate the application of the dynamic programming (DP) algorithm, the driving optimization problem is transformed into spatial domain and discretized prop-erly. Considering the heavy computational costs of the DP algorithm, a cloud computing based plat-form structure is proposed to solve the optimal driving problem in real-time. A case study is simula-ted based on a real-world traffic scenario in Matlab. Simulation results demonstrate that the cloud computing framework is promising toward realizing the real-time energy management for hybrid elec-tric vehicles.