We already told you a few months ago that Google Maps is introducing more eco-friendly routes. Routes that, despite being slightly longer, save fuel. Using low grade motorways and other variables causes our engine to consume less petrol/diesel.
Now the most used navigation app in the world has decided to take it one step further. With new technology, Google Maps prompts you to select your vehicle type (electric, hybrid, petrol, etc.) and takes care of providing you with the most efficient route for your vehicle.
And it lies in the fact that Google Maps can now offer the “most economical route in terms of fuel consumption” if you specify the type of engine in your car. Meanwhile, ecological routes cover the whole of Europe.
As we mentioned earlier, earlier this year, Google launched Green Routes in Maps for the US, Canada, and Germany. in order to highlight destinations that consume less fuel.
They appear with a leaf icon and “More economical fuel consumption“, and the application prefers this path”,when the arrival time is the same“.
You can disable this feature in the Address Page menu > Route Options to always use the fastest option. Like we said, it’s meant for “save money on fuel and reduce carbon emissions“.
Since its launch in the US and Canada, it is estimated that it has already helped eliminate more than half a million metric tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking 100,000 fuel-efficient vehicles off the road. The ecological route is currently being implemented in almost 40 European countries.
The fact is that Google wanted to take it one step further. The idea behind Google Maps is to make the most of this technology and tell us the type of vehicle: LNG, gasoline, diesel, hybrid or electric vehicle (EV).
This feature is being rolled out in the US, Canada, and Europe and can be accessed by going to Route Options and adding Engine Type.
For example, diesel engines are often more efficient at high speeds than gasoline or gas engines, while hybrid and electric vehicles perform better in stop-and-go traffic.
To get accurate energy or fuel efficiency estimates, Google used information from: US Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and data from the European Environment Agency.
Combining this data with traffic trends from Google Maps, the company developed “advanced machine learning models trained on the most popular engine types in the region“.
Source: Computer Hoy
