Google Maps new feature will default to a more “eco friendly” route at the start of a journey
A new Google Maps feature will allow users of the navigation app to choose a more eco-friendly route for their journey.
Google announced that, with insights from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab, they’re building a new routing model that optimises for lower fuel consumption based on factors like road incline and traffic congestion.
This is all part of the commitment they made to help one billion people who use their products, take action to reduce their environmental footprint.
Soon, Google Maps will default to the route with the lowest carbon footprint when it has approximately the same ETA as the fastest route. In cases where the eco-friendly route could significantly increase your ETA, they’ll let you compare the relative CO2 impact between routes so you can choose.
Dane Glasgow, VP of Product at Google Maps, said: “More eco-friendly routes let you choose the route with the lowest carbon footprint. From Amsterdam to Jakarta, cities around the world have established low emission zones — areas that restrict polluting vehicles like certain diesel cars or cars with specific emissions stickers — to help keep the air clean.
“To support these efforts, we’re working on alerts to help drivers better understand when they’ll be navigating through one of these zones. You can quickly know if your vehicle is allowed in the area, choose an alternative mode of transportation, or take another route. Low emission zone alerts launch this June in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and the UK on Android and iOS, with more countries coming soon.“
