Until recently, when planning routes in Google Maps, the fastest way was your only choice. Now the app will also calculate routes that may take a few minutes longer… but they will allow you to save money and expected fuel consumption.
Google introduces eco-friendly routing in Europe
Since last month, Google Maps has offered an option for planning eco-friendly routes in nearly 40 European countries. Eco-friendly routing allows you to plan your travel to limit your fuel consumption. Therefore, you save money on fuel and help fight climate change by reducing your carbon footprint.
From now on, when you plan your travel with Google Maps, you will be able to choose between the fastest and the most fuel-efficient route (if they don’t happen to be the same). With just a few taps, you can check the fuel savings and time difference between the two routes. If you want to always stick to the fastest route, you can simply adjust your preferences in the app settings.
The most fuel-efficient routes for each engine type
The most fuel-efficient route may be different depending on the engine type of your car. For example, diesel engines tend to perform better at higher speeds than petrol and gas engines. Hybrid and electric cars are more efficient in stop-and-go conditions, e.g. in traffic. Soon, European and North American Google Maps users will be able to select their engine type to get the most eco-friendly routes.
Google Maps helps you make more eco-friendly choices
Google shares some tips that can help you get where you need in a more eco-friendly way:
- If your car is electric, use Google Maps to search for nearby charging stations
- Car is usually not the best option when it comes to protecting the environment. Google Maps can help you find information about cycling routes as well as bike and electric scooter rental stations
- Take a walk whenever you can! Google offers detailed directions for pedestrians
- Another option is public transportation. Tap on a transit icon in Google Maps to reveal directions to get to your destination by bus, train, subway, or even ferry
- Choose hotels that care about limiting waste production, water usage, and energy consumption. You can find such places in Google Search – their names will be marked with a special badge
Google aims to make eco-friendly choices the best possible option for every user. The company hopes to empower as many as 1 billion people through Google products by the end of this year!